João Paiva

An adaptation of the painting “Aparição” created in 1972 by Portuguese artist Júlio Reis Pereira.

An experimental film made from test footage for a longer film.

It is a cold night and there is an electric tension in the air. A box is passed from hand to hand by mafia figures with professional secrecy. They have all been ordered to pass it on to the next courier without opening it, but one of the members is following different orders.

In a family household where the only bonds are those of blood, a family gathers for dinner. During the meal, Álvaro—a controlling and belittled father—is confronted with his wife’s repulsion and distance, his frail mother’s indifference, his deaf and blind father’s detachment and alienation, his teenage son’s blatant flirtation with his girlfriend, and the naive defiance of his two younger, bratty children. Álvaro observes the reality of his family’s disintegration as the dinner turns out to be a complete disaster.

How to prepare your last meal. Doktor Lederstein tut.2

In a world full of disillusionment, all that Artista wants is to reencounter his burning passion for en plein air and hope for his doomed love life. On a sunny day, he sits at a local park while drawing the view with his graphite stick, up until his future lover sits by a tree and he realises he has found his muse, Barra de Grafite. Artista finds himself lost in the borders of love and inspiration, spiraling towards insanity and is no longer able to tell if Barra de Grafite is a person or an object.