The Politics Festival returns to Loulé, from Thursday to Saturday, to “stir consciences” and reflect on the democratic system, promoting citizenship, civic intervention and human rights, according to the organizers.
“Our priority is to raise awareness and make people face the challenges that democratic society confronts them with,” Rui Oliveira Marques, one of those responsible for the artistic direction of the show cycle, told the Lusa agency.
A manifesto concert by the artist A Garota Não, the presentation of the “Monsters of the Year” awards, by Fernando Alvim, theater, film screenings, debates and meetings with deputies are some of the festival's proposals, which are free to enter.
In the second edition in Loulé, the festival takes place under the theme “Post-Democracy”, reinforcing the reflection on the limits of the democratic system, one year before the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 25th of April, through music, cinema, theater and humor .
According to Rui Oliveira Marques, Post-Democracy, in the 2023 edition a challenge was launched to the artists present “to reflect on the limits of the democratic system, threats” and how there can be “more people participating in public life”.
On Thursday, the play “Sobre Rosas e Margaridas” will be presented at Cineteatro Louletano, directed by Tânia Farias, a collective creation by Folha de Medronho and the Brazilian theater group Tribo de Atuadores Ói Nóis Aqui Traveiz.
On the same stage, on Friday, A Garota Não presents its manifesto concert entitled “Portuguese Selection: 10 million players” and a handful of songs that convey, according to the call, “the issues that concern her”.
On Saturday, it's Fernando Alvim's turn to present the “Monsters of the Year” awards, which promises to revisit the most surprising episodes of the Portuguese political panorama, through humor.
Eight films will also be shown at Cineteatro Louletano, including shorts and feature films: in addition to the winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlin Festival in 2022, “Alcarràs”, by Carla Simón, and the documentary “Novíssimas portaguesas”, there are also to see the documentary “Sou Quarteira”, by Miguel Jacinto and Selma Lopes.
At Café Calcinha there will be Face to Face with the deputies, with participants having the opportunity to talk, for five minutes, with the representatives of the parties sitting in the Assembly of the Republic, through prior registration.
On the other hand, at Solar da Música Nova there will be a debate “Democracy under threat?”, with commentators and political analysts Helena Ferro Gouveia and Adriana Lopes Cardoso, and coordinated by CNN Portugal commentator Rui Calafate.
Other highlights of the program are the 'showcase' by singer Carla Sousa, at Cineteatro Louletano and the history concert with workshop “Made in Osvaldo”, by Real Pelágio and aimed at children between 6 and 10 years old, at Solar da Música Nova.
A guided tour through the streets of Loulé in search of traces and marks of the presence of the Jewish community and a musical moment led by Sephardic harpist Helena Madeira, at Palácio Gama Lobo, are other options.
There will also be photography exhibitions “Institucionalizado”, by Isabela Marques and Airton Cesar Monteiro, at Solar da Música Nova, “O mundo num click”, by Alexandre Elias, and the installation “Mulheres PPT – Mulheres na Política PorTuguesa”, by Salomé Marques, in the foyer of the Cineteatro.
The festival program is available at www.festivalpolitica.pt, and it is necessary to reserve seats for the shows.
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