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The Flamingo Flight

Flamy is a flamingo who returns seasonally to the tranquility of Morraceira Island, near Figueira da Foz. Through his eyes, we experience various life cycles in the Lower Mondego: the dedicated work of the marnotos in the salt pans, the fauna and flora, and the Salt Museum. An adventure narrated by Eduardo Rêgo (BBC Wildlife - Portugal).

  • Paulo Fajardo
    Director
    Scorched Earth, Leone's Almería, Wellington's First Line
  • Ricardo Venâncio
    Writer
    Wellington's First Line
  • Gilda Saraiva
    Producer
  • Eduardo Rêgo
    Key Cast
    "Narrator"
  • Ben Martin
    3D Animation
    Wellington's First Line, Scorched Earth, Backlight
  • Paulo Fajardo
    Camera Operator
    Scorched Earth, Leone's Almería, Wellington's First Line
  • Paulo Fajardo
    Editor
    Scorched Earth, Leone's Almería, Wellington's First Line
  • IRCom - Comunicação e Multimédia
    Production Company
    Shepherd ofd Dreams, Resist BA-61!, Breaking Waves, Scorched Earth, Leone's Almería
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    O Voo do Flamingo
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    August 11, 2025
  • Country of Origin:
    Portugal
  • Country of Filming:
    Portugal
  • Language:
    Portuguese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • CineClube Gândara Bairrada: Cinema na Praia da Tocha
    Cantanhede
    Portugal
    August 15, 2025
    Guest Film
  • Verão Luso 2025
    Mealhada
    Portugal
    August 29, 2025
    Guest Film
  • Ciclo de Cinema em Homenagem ao Comendador Hélder Mendes
    Ourique
    Portugal
    November 15, 2025
    Guest Film
  • Star Film Festival | 7th Edition
    Barcelona
    Spain
    January 31, 2026
    Winner Best Short Documentary
  • ITFFA - International Tourism Film Festival Africa
    Johannesburg
    South Africa
    June 5, 2026
    Silver Award Winner - Culture & Heritage
  • Prémios AHRESP (10ª Edição dos Prémios da Associação da Hotelaria, Restauração e Similares de Portugal)
    Lisbon
    Portugal
    June 19, 2026
    Finalist
Distribution Information
  • Município da Figueira da Foz
    Distributor
    Country: Portugal
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Paulo Fajardo

Paulo César Fajardo was born in 1980, in the city of Figueira da Foz, Portugal.
He began his activity as an independent producer in 1999, having developed several documentary and fiction projects, and in 2006, he completed his degree in Tourism from the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria (Portugal).
"Outono/Fall" (2000), his first short film, earned him the International Critics' Prize at the Figueira da Foz International Film Festival. In the following years he collaborated as a freelancer in the areas of camera operator, editor and director in entertainment programs for various national and international television channels; SIC, RTP, TVI, Canal 6 - Pluricanal, SportTV, VIVA, GMTV, TV5 and CamõesTV.
Among his most noticeable films, which earned him national and international recognition at film festivals, are the documentaries "Berlenga - A Ilha do Farol" (2011), "A Rebentação/Breaking Waves" (2018), "A Primeira Linha de Wellington/Wellington's First Line" ( 2021), "Africa, como eu a vi" (2024) and the film “Terra Queimada/Scorched Earth” (2022). In 2012, as a co-host, he started the podcast "VHS", the longest-running cinema podcast in Portugal, awarded with the Podes prize in 2025, and from 2012 to 2016, he created and directed the web tv "BairradaTV".
In 2017 he was co-founder of the "Marmostra" film festival, in 2019 he was a founding member of "Cineclub Bairrada", in 2023 he was invited to co-program "Encontros de Cinema na Mealhada/Cinema Meetings in Mealhada" and in 2025 he co-founded the "CineClube Gândara Bairrada". From 2004 to the present, he has been working as a tv news cameraman and editor for the television channels SIC and SIC Notícias, where he highlights the production of several special reports and the weekend section "Castelos de Portugal/Castles of Portugal" for the news program "Jornal da Noite".

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Director Statement

“The Flamingo Flight” is a short documentary that explores the delicate balance between biodiversity and human activity on Morraceira Island, interpreting the laws of nature in the Mondego River estuary, in Figueira da Foz (Portugal). This narrative and thematic approach offers a unique perspective on this territory.

Through the eyes of a flamingo, the viewer is guided through the salt pan ecosystem, discovering its history, the richness of its birdlife, and the seasonality of the salt workers’ activity. Using an intricate network of water channels, these workers shape the landscape and cultivate the land through the artisanal production of salt crystals.

By focusing on Morraceira Island and the Mondego estuary, this documentary brings visibility to a Portuguese ecosystem that is often overlooked. By highlighting the salt pan ecosystem and the work of the salt workers, it contributes to the preservation of traditional knowledge and reinforces the recognition of the local community’s identity.

At the same time, by emphasizing the balance between human activity and biodiversity, the film promotes greater environmental awareness and may encourage sustainable tourism practices. In this way, the film not only documents a unique reality but also fosters its appreciation, protection, and continuity.