First-ever Palme d'Or for Portugal, for short Arena
by Vitor Pinto
The first Palm d'Or in the History of Portuguese cinema was won last night by 25-year-old director João Salaviza for his second short film, Arena.
Produced by Maria João Mayer for Filmes do Tejo II, the film about a young man under house arrest shot in one of Lisbon’s tough neighbourhoods earlier this month won a prize at the local festival IndieLisboa.
Curiously, in an interview to the local media two days ago, Salaviza said: "Portuguese films are destined to be discovered in international festivals. This will probably happen to me too".
After spending 2006 at the Film School of Buenos Aires, Salaviza is currently finishing a cinema course in Lisbon.
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