AN INTERVIEW WITH MANOEL DE OLIVEIRA

The great Portuguese auteur Manoel de Oliveira explains himself in the same way that a philosopher does: using syllogisms and figures of speech.

His new film A TALKING PICTURE was shown in competition at Venice, in 2003. It is a meditation on the old and new Europe, and also about the utopia of a universal language. "It’s strange to talk about a film that’s called A Talking Picture," says Oliveira.

Q: A Talking Picture also looks at a Europe that is still developing, the European Union. What does European cinema mean to you?

Cinema in general, and not just European cinema, is the last of the arts in date order. And like all the arts, it’s a ghost of reality. Reality is the sum of actual facts and utopias.

Q: Will your next film also talk about utopia?

Yes, in a certain way. It will be called The Fifth Empire. It’s a project about the myth of King Sebastian in the 16th century. He was a 15-year-old sovereign who wanted to spread "Christian peace" throughout the world and even gave up the idea of marriage to hold onto his spiritual power. But when you are looking for peace, war comes along. Sebastian attacked Morocco, and he was intended to reach Jerusalem. At the end of the story the king dies. And in Portugal, we are still waiting for his "return".

Q: A while ago, you were accused by a few critics of badly directing your actors. What do you say about these accusations?

It’s impossible because I don’t direct them. I promote spontaneous performances. The actors are the salt of a film. They give a body and a voice to the characters and make up the strength of the film. And this is the reason why choosing the actors is the most difficult part of making a film. Once I’ve done the casting, I’m much more relaxed. Unfortunately if there’s any credit given, it usually goes to the director.