18/05/2002 - At 93 the Portuguese director presents O principio da incerteza: a visual novel about the temptations of power

The grand old man of Portuguese cinema, Manoel De Oliveira, is back in competition in Cannes with O principio da incerteza. This magical and sophisticated film is based on the novel by Agustine Bessa-Luìs and portrays the weakness of contemporary Portughese society through the story of a rich young man called Antonio and his best friend, José, the son of a servant. Antonio is engaged to to Camilla, the object of Josè's secret desire, but betrays her with another woman. The protagonists' destinies come together in a climax that will destroy them all.
«Power always subdues those who don't have it,» says the 93-year-old film veteran who turns logic upside down when he observes that "Agustine Bessa-Luìs directed a magnificent film and, modesty apart, I wrote a great novel!"

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(Translated from Italian)