Experiencing Interruptions?

Penélope

In a deserted rural road, a lone woman waits for her friends who rescue her in a camper van. Embarking on a journey, they share intimate conversations, confronting the complexity of the female universe in the 21st century. As the day progresses, reality blurs with dreams, raising the question of the nature of their own existence. Amidst uncertainty, they return to "reality". Was it just a dream or a profound connection among them?

The symbolism of the van, named "Penelope", suggests a journey of self-discovery and perhaps even a metaphorical return to life.

  • Margarida Vila-nova
    Director
    Pê
  • Mariana Norton
    Writer
  • Madalena Brandao
    Producer
  • Margarida Vila-Nova
    Producer
    Pê
  • Madalena Brandao
    Key Cast
    "Zoye"
  • Benedita Pereira
    Key Cast
    "Ru"
  • Mariana Norton
    Key Cast
    "Marie"
  • Rita Silvestre
    Key Cast
    "Ben"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Penélope
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 1, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    30,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Portugal
  • Country of Filming:
    Portugal
  • Language:
    Portuguese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Margarida Vila-nova

Margarida Vila-Nova is a Portuguese actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. "Penélope" is her second film as a director, following her debut with "Pê," which has traveled to various international film festivals over the past two years.
As the daughter of producers, she grew up surrounded by artists who inspired her path. At the age of 18, she established a theater production company and produced shows aimed at a young audience, such as "Confissões de Adolescente", "Pedras Rolantes", "Noite dos Assassinos," or "Por Uma Noite".
As an actress, she has built a solid career in television, theater, and cinema, earning recognition from critics.
In recent years, she has stood out alongside directors such as Ivo Ferreira in the series "Sul" (RTP and HBO), Marco Leão and André Santos in the series "Luz Vermelha" (RTP), Patrícia Sequeira in "O Clube" (Prime Video), João Nuno Pinto in "Causa Própria" (RTP and HBO), João Maia in "Matilha" (RTP), and Bruno Gascon in "Irreversível" (Selected for MIP Drama 2024).
In cinema, her notable films include "Milagre Segundo Salomé Salomé" by Mário Barroso, "Cartas da Guerra" by Ivo M. Ferreira, "Corrupção" and "Desassossego" by João Botelho, "Fogo-Fátuo" by João Pedro Rodrigues, among others.
She has been nominated for the Sophia Award for Best Actress twice and in 2020 received the SPA/Autores Award for Best Actress for the film "Hotel Império."

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Director Statement

To portray in the feminine was the starting point for this short film, challenging me to an exercise of breaking away from the stereotypical characterization of women and the destruction of the untouchable myths created about them.

Navigating a world where standards about women do not weigh heavily. Creating a place that embraces, promotes affection, and sisterhood. Penelope is this vessel that takes four women to a place where they are free to speak about themselves, a magical and dreamlike world freed from aesthetic constraints and reductions, making intimacy, spontaneity, and women's autonomy possible.

As a filmmaker and as a woman, I find it urgent to address these women in today's context. Creating a film directed, performed, and written by women from the happy encounter of 5 actresses where all stripped away prejudices and allowed me to film their silences, their pains, and their laughter. It is urgent that we think in the feminine.