Private Project

53

BRIEF SYNOPSIS
53 is a conversation between a traditional healer and a man killed in Fernão Dias, created with the testimonies of the last survivors and their families, victims of the massacre conduted by the Portuguese colonial police forces in São Tomé e Príncipe in 1953.
It intends to approach Portuguese colonialism from the collective memory and its current impact on the population.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Slavery officially ended in São Tomé e Príncipe in 1875. Through the Portuguese colonial administration, the slave work was perpetuated, until its independence in 1975. After the abolition of slavery, to meet the labor demand caused by the end of slavery, the Portuguese colonial administration started “contracting workers” from other Portuguese colonies in Africa, including Angola, Cabo Verde, and Mozambique. A production system with slave work was implemented and, all forms of violence were instituted, such as lack of freedom and physical punishment, arbitrary raids, and imprisonment.
In 1953, the “Massacre of 53”/ “Trindade War” committed by the Portuguese colonial administration, resulted in the creation of a concentration camp in Fernão Dias, where they killed and tortured the population, forcing them to remove all the water from the sea with buckets or using an electric chair to force them to confess to participating in the conspiracy against the colonial forces. Today ” Fernão Dias Memorial” is a national symbol, marked the rise of the independence movement in São Tomé and Príncipe.

  • Sofia Borges
    Director
  • Sofia Borges
    Writer
  • Eduardo Ascenso Pires
    Producer
  • Sofia Borges
    Producer
  • Honório Soares
    Key Cast
  • Inocêncio Costa
    Key Cast
  • Marta Espírito Santo
    Key Cast
  • Afonso Guadêncio
    DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
  • Sofia Borges
    Editing
  • Bernardo Theriaga
    Sound
  • Rui Viana Pereira
    Sound Edit and Mix
  • Gonçalo Ferreira
    Color Correction
  • Ayres Verissímo Major
    Cultural Consultant
  • Sofia Borges
    Casting
  • Domingos de Barros
    Casting
  • Sara David Lopes
    Translation and subtitles
  • Ayres Verissímo Major
    Translation and subtitles
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 55 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 5, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    20 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Portugal
  • Country of Filming:
    Sao Tome and Principe
  • Language:
    Forro Creole-Sãotomense, Portuguese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Biennial Sesc_Videobrasil
    São Paulo
    Brazil
    October 18, 2023
    Internacional
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Sofia Borges

SOFIA BORGES born in Portugal, studied Visual Arts/ Painting and Curatorial Studies at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Lisbon.
She works in relation to local communities, politics, public space, media installation and film. These projects are developed through proximity, supported by dialogue and participation of the local communities. Presented in the communities, art exhibitions, public spaces, publications and film festivals, awarded at Indie Lisboa in Portugal and film festivals in Italy, India and Spain. She had the support from ICA/Instituto de Cinema e Audiovisual(PT), Fundação Gulbenkian(PT), Duquesne Univesity (USA), Ministério da Cultura de Portugal(PT) and Ministério da Cultura de São Tomé and Príncipe(STP).

FILMOGRAPHY
2023 - "SÚLU S´ÁUA"; 30 min; DCP; 1:1, 33; Colour; Portugal and São Tomé e Príncipe.
2023 - “53”; 14 min; DCP; 1:1, 33; Colour; Portugal - São Tomé e Príncipe.
2015 - “MAXAMBA”; 25 min ; DCP; 1:1, 33; Colour; Portugal-USA.
2010 - “NEXT VILLAGE”; 40 minm; DVCam; 1:1, 33; Colour; Portugal
2009 - “I WAS PRODUCER OF MY SELF”; video installation 13 miń; DV; 1:1, 33; Colour; Portugal.

PRIZES. AWARDS . NOMINATIONS
“MAXAMBA”; experimental documentary; 25 min ; DCP; 1:1, 33; Colour; Portugal-USA.
2017 - Best Short Documentary-Jury. 6th Mumbai Shorts Film Festival (India)
2017 - Nomination for Cinematography Award, Annual Copenhagen Film Festival (Denmark)
2016 - Brand New Prize. IndieLisboa: Festival Internacional de Lisboa (Portugal)
2016 - Portuguese Production Prize. XII Extremadoc I Festival de Cinema Documental (Spain )
2016 - Special Award for Best Short Documentary. Myart Film Festival (Italy)

BIBLIOGRAPHY I PUBLICATIONS (Selection)
- Barnard, Suzanne; Greene, Erice; Gupta, Nisha. MAXAMBA and Memory-Making Amid Traumatic Displacement (2021). Journal of Humanistic Psychology (JHP). USA.
- Braga, Joana; Lages, Joana; Veiga, Inês. ‘Quinta Da Vitória (2015) When the Demolition Blossoms: Artistic Interventions Towards the Construction of a Just City’. In Projects for an Inclusive City - Social Integration through Urban Growth Strategies, p. 136–56. Skopje: City of Skopje.
- Lages, Joana. Participation Is the New Black. In Homeland, News From Portugal – Archive 2014. Portuguese representation of the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale, edited by Pedro Campos Costa and Alessia Allegri. Lisbon: Note. Portugal. (English)
- Borges, Sofia. Quando o artista decide abrir a porta do seu ateliê e começar a olhar à sua volta... (2012). Revista de Critica de Ciências Sociais. p. 185-202. Coimbra. Portugal.
. Braga, Joana; Lages, Joana; Veiga, Inês. Quinta da Vitória: quando a demolição floresce. ArteCapital, July 21. 2015.
- Borges, Sofia , Quando os outros colaboram na prática artística. Estudo sobre o processo colaborativo e a criação artística (2010). MA Dissertation in Curatorial Studies. Faculty of Fine Arts of Lisbon - Technical University of Lisbon and Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Portugal.
- Miranda, Mónica e Goodwin, Paul (2009) Underconstruction exhibition catalog. Participation with video installation: Eu era Produtor de mim Próprio. Portugal. (Portuguese)

GRANTS AND SUPPORT (Selection)
2022- The Portuguese Film Fund by Indie Lisboa and Digital Mix Música e Imagem (PT)
2021-22 - ICA/Instituto de Cinema Audiovisual/ Ministério da Cultura de Portugal(PT)
2021-22 - Garantir Cultura/Ministério da Cultura de Portugal (PT)
2021-22 - Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian(PT)
2020-21 - Aliança Francesa (FR/STP)
2015 - Africa Cont/ Câmara Municipal de Lisboa(PT)
2013-15 - Duquesne University (USA)
2012-3 - Fundação Gulbenkian (PT)

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

DIRECTOR`S STATEMENT
This film intends to approach Portuguese colonialism in São Tomé e Príncipe and the "Massacre of 53"/ "Trindade War" from the collective memory and its current impact on the population.
The film is structured on collaborative practice, through the collective participation of the actors in the process of creation of the scenes and dialogues of the film. The "characters" were built from the performers' experiences, their personal histories, the collective memory of colonialism and the testimonies of the last survivors and their families, victims of the "Massacre of 53"/ "Trindade War".

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Slavery officially ended in São Tomé e Príncipe in 1875. Through the Portuguese colonial administration, the slave work was perpetuated, until its independence in 1975. After the abolition of slavery, to meet the labor demand caused by the end of slavery, the Portuguese colonial administration started “contracting workers” from other Portuguese colonies in Africa, including Angola, Cabo Verde, and Mozambique. And a production system with slave work was implemented and, all forms of violence were instituted, such as lack of freedom and physical punishment, arbitrary raids, imprisonment, and death.
In 1953, the “Massacre of 53”/ “Trindade War” committed by the Portuguese colonial administration, resulted in the creation of a concentration camp in Fernão Dias, where they killed and tortured the population, forcing them to remove all the water from the sea with buckets or using an electric chair to force them to confess to participating in the conspiracy against the colonial forces. Today ” Fernão Dias Memorial” is a national symbol, marked the rise of the independence movement in São Tomé and Príncipe.