The Core Concept:
"Planos" is a visual meditation on the friction between our urban reality and our interior life. Inspired by the hauntingly beautiful music of Paulo Flores, an icon of Angolan music, I wanted to explore that universal moment when the weight of a grueling daily routine forces the mind to escape. In the middle of Luanda’s traffic, the car cabin ceases to be a machine and becomes a portal—a space where time stops, and the man revisits the 'esquebra' (the fragments) of his existence. It is a film about the plans we make and the ones we lose along the way.

Cultural Identity:
This film is deeply rooted in the Angolan experience. From the streets of Maianga to the whistling of the Red-crested Turaco—a bird found only in Angola—every frame is an anchor to my heritage. The inclusion of "The Thinker" (O Pensador) and the local vernacular serves to bridge our traditional symbols with the contemporary struggle of city life. I wanted to show that even in the chaos of a modern African metropolis, there is a profound, silent poetry that speaks to the world.

The Craft: No AI, Just Hand-Painted Soul:
In an era dominated by generative tools, I chose the path of manual labor. This film is the result of a meticulous "mixed-media" process: I took real videos of Luanda and literally painted over them, frame by frame. There is no Artificial Intelligence here—only the movement of the brush and the digital pencil. I believe that the rawness of a hand-painted line better captures the "saudade" and the emotional weight of Paulo Flores's lyrics. This project is a celebration of craftsmanship, merging the physical textures of painting with the fluidity of 2D animation.

In 2025, Jesualdo was included in the BANTUMEN Powerlist, which recognizes the 100 most influential Black personalities in the Portuguese-speaking world.