Directed by José Freitas

Portugal, Spain. 2021. Fiction, drama, debut. 12’20”

Synopsis:
After being discouraged by his aunt, Leo contradicts her expectations and tries to fight for a place in the local football team trials.

IMDb

Director’s Statement:
“Leonardo has a mentality in constant change, lost without knowing what his destiny is, and without understanding what his future will be. He depends financially on his aunt and lives with a need for her approval. The film depicts yet another of many attempts to gain her approval and respect.

The character serves as a representation of all young adults who have to struggle with pre-established ideas about their future.

For Esmeralda and the rest of the community, the decision to start playing football is just another ridiculous daydream from Leonardo and another waste of time, as everyone thinks he should get a ‘serious’ job and occupation.

Athletes, artists and all of us with ‘unconventional’ jobs, at some point in our journey we felt the refusal of help and approval to follow our dreams.

But wanting something a lot it’s not enough if we are not at the level of our ambitions.

The film attempts to erase the wall between what is real and what is fiction through moments captured with documentary methods, which creates a naturalistic performance by all the social actors in the film.

During the training sessions, João Cravo Cardoso (the actor who plays Leonardo) was treated as a normal player, and it was hidden from the club’s staff who was the actor among the new players doing the trials.

The team players did not know that a piece of fictional cinema was being shot.”