Arabian Nights

Synopsis

Using the framing device from the original Arabian Nights of the young Scheherazade telling tale after tale in order to keep her murderous husband from killing her, Miguel Gomes channels the current struggles of economically depressed Portugal through an assortment of tales that range from farcical yarns to grounded accounts of social issues.
Three discs:
Volume 1 - The Restless One: After opening with overlapping documentary portraits of a shipyard and a wasp-exterminator, the director appears on screen, contemplating his overly ambitious undertaking. From here, Gomes spins a satirical tale about the financial powers-that-be preying on Portugal’s vulnerability. Next up is the comic story of the role a rooster plays in a local election, followed by a sobering triptych of interviews with unemployed citizens.

Volume 2 - The Desolate One: The volume’s opening chapter is about a criminal on the run. In "The Tears of the Judge," a public trial becomes a mockery, with the testimony implicating everyone in attendance. Finally, The Desolate One ends on an exhilarating note, with a hugely entertaining story about a dog named Dixie who’s passed between owners, familiarising us with the inhabitants of a working-class apartment building.

Volume 3 - The Enchanted One: Having escaped the palace, Scheherazade explores a seaside landscape where she encounters, among others, a "wind genie" and a daft suitor. This develops into a documentary-style exploration of the working-class sport of chaffinch singing competitions.
Extras:
Short film REDEMPTION by Miguel Gomes.

Language

Portuguese (Portugal)

Country

Portugal

Notes

With English subtitles.

Subjects

Film studies; Portuguese studies

Keywords

Portugal; working classes

Credits

Director

Miguel Gomes

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 PAL

Price

£15.53

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

377 minutes

Year

2019

Distributor

Name

New Wave Films

Email

info@newwavefilms.co.uk

Web

http://www.newwavefilms.co.uk/contact.html External site opens in new window

Phone

020 3178 7096

Fax

020 3008 6171

Address

10 Margaret Street
London
W1W 8RL

 

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