Experiencing Interruptions?

MARIA JOSÉ MARIA

On the same night that a dismembered and decapitated body is found in the city streets, Maria José wakes up startled by the absence of her mother. The authorities try to find the author of this heinous crime, but soon they will face unexpected circum- stances. With a Hitchcockian touch, this psychological horror film, with both gore and absurd humor, is inspired by a true story that horrified Portugal in the mid-nineteenth century.

  • Chico Noras
    Director
    Fistful of Coins
  • Chico Noras
    Writer
  • Timóteo de Azevedo
    Writer
  • Miguel Raimundo
    Writer
  • Chico Noras
    Producer
    Fistful of Coins
  • Diana Lima
    Producer
    Calipso
  • Eunice Correia
    Key Cast
    "Maria José"
  • André Gago
    Key Cast
    "Sheriff António Ferreira do Sul"
  • José Neto
    Key Cast
    "Father Aníbal"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    MARIA JOSÉ MARIA
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Horror, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 28, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Portugal
  • Country of Filming:
    Portugal
  • Language:
    Portuguese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Black & White
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Abertoir Horror Festival
    Aberystwyth
    United Kingdom
    Official Selection
  • MotelX
    Lisbon
    Portugal
    Portuguese premiere
    Official Selection
  • Fantasporto
    Porto
    Portugal
    Official Selection
  • Athens Internacional Digital Film Festival
    Athens
    Greece
    Honorable Mention
  • Swindon Independent Film Festival
    Swindon
    United Kingdom
    Internacional Premiere
    Best Short / Best Cinematography
  • Planos Film Fest
    Tomar
    Portugal
    Best Art Direction
  • Anatomy: Crime&Horror Film Festival
    Athens
    Greece
    Best cinematography
  • Caminhos do Cinema Português
    Coimbra
    Portugal
Director Biography - Chico Noras

Born in 13/06/1991, in a small Portuguese town called Santarém, Chico Noras soon realized he wanted to be a filmmaker when he discovered he was the reincarnation of Chuck Norris, even though he is still alive. From then on, at only 5 years old, he started practicing every round kick possible, only to realize that his only talent was with a movie camera.

During the making of his first short A FITSFUL OF COINS, he fell in love with geriatrics, back in 2021. This seemingly dark obsession led him to the world of horror, starting with the movie BORSH, 2022, followed by MARIA JOSÉ MARIA, 2023, a period movie filled with the macabre. He’s now working on the post production of his last movie, THE PROCEDURE, a black gore comedy about a dystopian world where euthanasia is legal, morally acceptable and normalized by the capitalist system.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The human mind is the dark forest we all fear the most. Consciousness is the tip of the iceberg, which hides a underworld with life of its own. MARIA JOSÉ MARIA explores this ancient conflict that occurs within the mind, through a piece of psychological terror, soaked in expressionistic gore and with hints of black humor.

With this loose adaptation of Maria José’s true story, that shocked the country in 1842, because of the goriness of her mother’s murder, we intend to explore the post-traumatic behavior of our main character and the psychosis that led to the crime. The fragility of her ego, before the ferocity of the shadow, takes over her being.
This is the core message: the power of the unconscious is ubiquitous.