That year, I went back to the Island of Pico, in the Azores. I wanted to meet the writer, poet and whaler José Dias de Melo, in his native village, Calheta de Nesquim. I wanted to spend a few days with him, to watch him live. I wanted to hear him speak, listen to some of the important stories of his life. I wanted to film his village, his house, his comes and goes, to go with him on his walks and discover the landscapes he has described in his books.
But when I arrived in Calheta de Nesquim, I heard he had been ill and sent to the hospital in São Miguel, another island of the archipelago. Nobody could tell me when he would be back.
So I decided to wait. I brought one of his last books, « Poeira de Caminho », « The dust of the path ». I leaf it through to pass the time. And if I listen, I can hear his voice…
With the voice of Michel Costa (José Dias de Melo) - Photography : Xavier Arpino - Sound and editing : Marc Weymuller - Production : Le tempestaire / Marc Weymuller et Xavier Arpino - Associated Production : Contracosta Produções - Executive Production : Giuseppe de Mattia - Film and Production Assistant : Ana Fagunes - Music : Maurice Blanchy / Bruno Fleutelot - English translation : Pierre Grammont
Extract
BEST DOCUMENTARY AWARD Avanca Film Fest 2009 (Portugal)
Etats Généraux du Film Documentaire de Lussas 2009 (France)
Rencontres Cinéma de Gindou 2009 (France)
Faial Filmes Fest 2009 (Açores, Portugal)
Festival International du film d’Amiens 2009 (France)
Caceres Film Fest Extrema’Doc, 2009 (Spain)
Famafest, Festival Cinéma et Literatura 2010 (Portugal)
Documenta Madrid 2010 (Spain)
Taiwan International Documentary Festival 2010 (Taiwan)
Les Champs Libres, Rennes, 2010 (France
Mois du Film Documentaire Bourgogne Franche-Comté 2010 (France)
Festival Territoires en Images, Paris, 2011 (France)
Champ Contre Champ - Festival de Lasalle 2011 (France)