Cinema for me is…
Rita in 10 frames
1. What film made you fall in love with cinema?
Requiem for a Dream (2000) Directed by Darren Aronofsky. I have a special connection to that movie because I feel like I have lived with some of these characters in real life. When I first saw it I was overwhelmed with emotions and I realized I would like to make people feel that way someday.
2. What are the 3 best European films you have seen in the last year?
The Worst Person in the World (2021) Directed by Joachim Trier | Titane (2021) Directed by Julia Ducournau | The Innocents (2021) Directed by Eskil Vogt
3. What does Europe mean to you?
For me, Europe is a community. It’s filled with variety, it’s huge, but at the same time everything is so close since we have now such easy access to traveling and actually moving to other European countries and make all kinds of connections
4. What do you like the most about your country that makes it unique?
In Portugal, Art finds a way to an unexpected delivery. Portuguese artists are always looking for different ways to convey their thoughts
5. Your favourite film theatre? What do you like about it?
My favourite movie theater in Portugal is Cinema da Trindade. I love this theater because it’s located in the heart of the city I was born to and it represents many local artists from the north.
6. What is your dream job in the film industry?
Film Director, Screenwriter and Actor. I first trained as an actor, and I was told at times to focus on just being an actor because I would start directing when I wasn’t supposed to. Today I can adapt to whatever role I have at the moment, but I think that rebellious mind of mine was telling me to write and direct my own stories
7. Which film director would you like to be?
I would like to make dramas and biopics. The artist’s mind is a very troubled one, and I like being able to make people feel some of that emotional chaos. I love the idea of making biopics, I have a couple of people in mind for telling their life story on the big screen; the best part of it is that you’re showing the audience things that they will think were written, but in actuality they did happen; some people just have an amazing life story that sounds like a film
8. Which film character do you most identify with?
I identify with Maria Elena from the movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) directed by Woody Allen, played by Penélope Cruz, mostly because of her strong and sort of crazy personality. I always identify with characters played by Penélope Cruz because she usually portrays strong character women, but I feel most connected to this specific role
9. Your favorite soundtrack or song?
Interstellar (2014) soundtrack by Hans Zimmer
10. If you had to live in a movie, which one would you like it to be?
I would easily be thrilled to live in any movie made by Hayao Miyazaki, but if I have to choose it would have to be Spirited Away (2001). I feel a very strong connection to those ominous fantasy movies because they’re not exactly fairy tales, sometimes they’re actually terrifying, but they still give you that amazing feeling that stems from the possibility of having a more interesting world than the one we know. Spirited Away makes me disconnect to my own reality, and from that point on, I am able to connect to a different ‘reality’ that only exists in the realms of imagination. Movies should also make you feel things that are not real – we can workout our creativity, which (goes without saying) is crucial to an artist.
Rita Duque is the Ambassador of Trindade. Find out more about the Cinema here.
