In his movie INA, Portuguese director António Caetano Faria shows a young girl’s journey of self-exploration as she gets involved with her drug-dealer boyfriend. In this relationship, a darker side of the world, which also involves Ina’s father, unfolds in front of her. It not only confuses and overwhelms her, but also makes her question her very existence and life.
This hard-hitting production was inspired by Macau and the way it reinvents itself with each generation and rapid changes.
“It is not an easy task for a teenager to live in a city of constant transformation. In this city, we have casinos next to schools or a church side by side with a massage parlour,” Antonio comments. “Ina is living at the intersection of fiction and reality.”
As well as being the setting for the movie, Macau also plays a symbolic role in this film. With shadows of buildings, imposing lights and narrow and winding streets, Macau is a reservoir of unique cinematography material.
Speaking highly of CUT, António says he received all the support he needed during the production and post-production of INA, including location approval, casting support and Cantonese translation and interpretation services. Working with an enthusiastic team from various backgrounds also allowed him to create a multicultural work and exchange different concepts and ideas.
Regarding the Macau filming making landscape, António thinks it is a good time for filmmaking and storytelling. “In the midst of a time of great change, more and more people want to tell their stories in documentaries or fictional films,” he notes.
