Suddenly My Thoughts Halt

SYNOPSIS

A cup of coffee, a cigarette. A coin, another cup of coffee. Patients roam the halls. They walk alone. Waiting. Another smoke, a burning cigarette. Therapies that appeal to the senses. Routines that pull them back to reality. It’s life repeating itself at psychiatric hospital spaces’. Lucidity and madness live together.
From the outside world comes an actor in search of his character for a theatre play, diving into the inner world of schizophrenia. Patients are part of the creation of the character. Amidst the haze, the actor finds a poem by Ângelo de Lima, an alienated.
The theatre character is born.
Cinema documents it.

DIRECTOR

Jorge Pelicano

Born in Figueira da Foz in 1977, is a portuguese documentary filmmaker. "Ainda há pastores?" (2006) was Pelicano’s first feature film that won more than ten national and international awards.
In 2009 he debuted "Pare, Escute, Olhe”, a militant film about the Tua railway line and on which he won three awards in DocLisboa 2009, including Best Portuguese Documentary.
During the time he worked as an image reporter in SIC Portuguese broadcast (2001-2012), Jorge Pelicano was one of the creators and director of a documentary series called "Momentos de Mudança", a program that broke traditional TV’s journalism format, by introducing the concept of cinematic journalism.
He is currently involved in several documentary projects in the portuguese production company Até ao Fim do Mundo.

Filmography

PARE, ESCUTE, OLHE (2009) | Documentary, 102 min.
AINDA HÁ PASTORES? (2006) | Documentary, 73 min
PÁRA-ME DE REPENTE O PENSAMENTO (2014) | Documentary, 98 min

ABOUT

PROTAGONISTS

ALBERTO

Bulging eyes and a contagious laugh. During the week, he attends the 'day hospital', participating in numerous occupational therapies: handcrafts and the theater are his favorites. At the end of the day, he returns to his home.

ABREU

António Teixeira, 54 years-old, better known as Mr. Abreu. A tall, slender, well-dressed man with intellectual glasses. In his own words: "I would like to have been a mind doctor." Proud of his knowledge, this man of all trades is a theorist knowledgeable in all psychiatric disorders.

ZÉ PEDRO

He is 48 years-old and a proud activist of the Communist Party. He enjoys writing and commits his soul to paper. His words come out philosophically, almost melodiously, with little regard for logic. Painting is another one of his forms of expression: animals, shapes, strange contexts that merge with reality.

JOAQUIM CARVALHO

He is 60 years-old. Loud spoken, his voice easily echoes far. He is able to surprise us in every conversation. With great intellectual ability, he has read countless books. In his own words, more than a thousand. He was a very lonely man until he met Rosa Guedes. Together they wander beyond the hospital walls.

TORRES

With a gentle voice, he disguises his shyness with a smile. A resident, he "manages" Torres bar, a therapeutic meeting point. Between serving coffee and smoking his cigarette, he collaborates in the ward’s daily tasks. The hospital staff and their housemates trust him.

CENTRO HOSPITALAR CONDE DE FERREIRA

It is my wish that my executors apply the remainder of my fortune (…) into building a hospital for those alienated from society, in the place they see fit (…) and place it in the care of this city’s Santa Casa da Misericórdia, not only the building but also the surplus funds…

Last will and testament of Count De Ferreira

Hospital Conde de Ferreira was the first building in Portugal specifically designed to house psychiatric patients, implemented by a testamentary clause in Count de Ferreira’s will. To comply with his will, Porto’s Santa Casa da Misericórdia bought Quinta da Cruz das Regateiras, an extensive estate of 120.000 m2.
Inaugurated on March 24, 1883, the hospital welcomed patients from various social backgrounds, placed in different wards according to pathology and social class. Everyone could engage in workshop or agricultural activities, which implemented for the first time the principle of collective psychotherapy through work.
António Maria de Sena was the hospital’s first Clinical Director. A man of high scientific and moral stature, he was responsible for the creation of the first psychiatric legislation in Portugal, the so-called Sena Law.
Some of the most renowned Portuguese psychiatrists made their careers in Hospital Conde de Ferreira: Júlio de Matos, Magalhães Lemos, Bahía-Júnior and Alberto Brochado.
Not forgetting its origins, Hospital Conde de Ferreira is now looking towards the future and is becoming a modern mental health institution with facilities that are prepared to deal with past and present concerns, like the residential area with secular tradition, the modern day center for Alzheimer's or the Integrated Long Term Care Unit.

EXHIBITIONS

Tavira Theater, Tavira, Portugal

DEC 10 / 21h30, Cine-teatro António Pinheiro

Bento Martins Theater, Chaves, Portugal

DEC 8 / Time to be announced

Odemira Filme Festival, Odemira, Portugal

DEC 5, Camacho Costa Theater - Time to be announced

Alpendre Theater, Ilha Terceira, Portugal

DEC 3 / 21h30

Silveirinhos Cultural and Social Association, Gondomar, Portugal

DEC 2 / 21h00

José Manuel Figueiredo Cultural Forum

13 NOV / (hour to be defined), Moita, Portugal

Casa da Cultura de Seia

29 OCT / 21h30, Seia, Portugal

Inconveniente Films - Human Rights Film Festival

16 OCT / 20h45, Vilnius, Lithuania
18 OCT / 15h30, Vilnius, Lithuania

Pax Julia Theater

13 OCT/ 21h30, Beja, Portugal

A Moagem

10 OCT / 21h30, Fundão, Portugal

Cine-Teatro Garrett

8 OCT / 21h30, Póvoa do Varzim, Portugal

Vila Flor Cultural Center

8 OCT / 21h30, Guimarães, Portugal

Cinema Dolce Vita de Ovar

8 to 14 OCT / Ovar, Portugal
Mon to Wed: 16h
Thu: 18h30 / 21h30
Fri, Sat and Sun: 16h / 18h30 / 21h30

Vila Real Theater

6 OCT / 21h30, Vila Real, Portugal
with the director's presence

Teatro-Cine de Torres Vedras

1 OCT / 21h30, Torres Vedras, Portugal

Vilnius Documentary Film Festival

22 SEP / 21h10, Skalvija movie theater, Vilnius, Lithuania.
27 SEP / 18h45, Pasaka movie theater, Vilnius, Lithuania.

Festival Avante!

5 SET / 14h30, Seixal, Portugal

Teatro Aveirense

7 JULY / 21h30, Aveiro, Portugal

Teatro Sá da Bandeira

1 JULY / 21h30, Santarém, Portugal

Teatro Miguel Franco

24 JUNE / 18h30, 21h30, Leira, Portugal
25 JUNE / 21h30, Leira, Portugal

Cine-teatro Paraíso

9 JUNE / 19h00, Tomar, Portugal

Cine-teatro Avenida

9 JUNE / 21h30, Castelo Branco, Portugal

Guarda Municipal Theatre - Extra Session

9 JUNE / 17h30, Guarda, Portugal

Krakow Film Festival

2 JUNE / 11h30, Kino Pod Baranami, Kraków, Poland
4 JUNE / 17h00, Agrafka, Kraków, Poland

Inquietudo Film Festival

29 MAY / 19h00, Vienna, Áustria

Centro de Artes e Espetáculos da Figueira da Foz

21 MAY / 21h30

Cine Clube de Viseu - Extra Session

20 MAY / 21h30, Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth, Viseu, Portugal

Cine Clube de Viseu

19 MAY / 21h30, Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth, Viseu, Portugal

Centro de Artes e Espetáculos da Figueira da Foz

15 MAY / 21h30, Figueira da Foz, Portugal

Exhibition "Loucamente"

12 MAI / 19h00, Pavillion of Knowledge – Ciência Viva, Lisbon, Portugal

Teatro Municipal da Guarda

12 MAI / 21h30, Guarda, Portugal

Teatro Nacional de São João - PREMIERE OPORTO

7 MAY/ 21h00, Oporto, Portugal

Cinema City Alvalade

18 JUNE - 1 JULY / 19h40, Lisbon, Portugal

UCI Arrábida Shopping

11 JUNE - 17 JUNE / 19h00, Oporto, Portugal

Magnificent 7 - European Feature Documentary Film Festival

3 FEB / 20h00, Big Theatre, Belgrade, Serbia

Extension of Caminhos do Cinema Português Festival

With the presence of the director (free admission)
16 JAN / 21h30, Municipal Library Auditorium, Torres Novas, Portugal

18th International Documentary Film Festival OFF CINEMA

19 NOV / 20h30, Centro Cultural Zamek, Poznan, Polónia

Cinéma Signes de Nuit Festival

12 DEC / 19h00, Maison de Norvège, Cité Universitaire de Paris, France

Caminhos do Cinema Português

16 NOV / 22h00, Gil Vicente Academic theatre, Coimbra, Portugal

DOK Leipzig’14 – 57º Festival Internacional de Documentário e Animação de Leipzig

02 NOV / 14h00, Schaubühne Lindenfels, Leipzig, Alemanha
01 NOV / 22h00, CineStar 8, Leipzig, Alemanha
28 OUT / 19h30, CineStar 8, Leipzig, Alemanha

Doclisboa’14

24 OCT / 16h45, Cinema City Campo Pequeno - sala 3, Lisboa, Portugal
23 OCT / 18h45, Cinema São Jorge - Sala Manoel de Oliveira, Lisboa, Portugal

SEE LESS

AWARDS

Sophia - Academia Portuguesa de Cinema

| Lisboa, 13 MAI 2016
Best documentary
Feature film

Festival de Cinema Odemira

| Odemira, 5 DEC 2015
Best documentary

International Festival Signes de Nuit

| Paris, 14 DEC 2014
Transgressif Cinema Section
Signes Award

Caminhos do Cinema Português

| Coimbra, 22 NOV 2014
Grand Festival Award
Audience Award
Best Director Award

PRESS

CLIPPING

Portal Cinema

7 MAY 2015

Jornal I

6 MAY 2015

Janela Indiscreta

6 MAY 2015

Jornalismo Porto Net

6 MAY 2015

Rádio Renascença

6 MAY 2015

Diário de Notícias

6 MAY 2015

Público

6 MAY 2015

Jornal I

6 MAY 2015

Cinemax Rádio

6 MAY 2015

SIC Notícias - Caminhos do Cinema Português

23 NOV 2014

Janela Indiscreta

6 NOV 2014

Tue Muller Blog

30 OCT 2014

CInespoon

24 OCT 2014

Jornal Expresso

21 OCT 2014

SEE LESS

DOWNLOADS

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- Credits - Stills - MUPI Portuguese A4 - MUPI English A4