“Everything changed in August of 1940 with the arrival of Gibraltarian refugees. Hotels and hostels are filled with people and Funchal’s streets are populated as if a ship had docked with tourists. Shops and restaurants have new costumers. The positive impact these people had on the island goes beyond these: people become open-minded, namely to women’s place in society. Consequently, the people of Madeira express gratitude.”
Alberto Vieira
Ficha Técnica
Produção Amanda Alvarez, Pedro Mesquita
Realização e Imagem Pedro Mesquita
Argumento Matthew Alexander e Pedro Mesquita
Montagem Amanda Alvarez e Filipa Gambino
Música Original Joel Frias
Som André Espada
Produtora Infiel
Co-produção Kontratiempo
Language: Portuguese, English and Spanish
3 MAI 19H
In 1940, the United Kingdom evacuates a great part
of the population of Gibraltar, under threat from the
German Military, coming in through the Pyrenees. The
British, compelled to militarize the colony, had to assure
viable plans for the future of the evacuees. Two thousand
women and children are deported to the Island of
Madeira, remaining on Portuguese land until the conflict
had ended. Who are these people, as some refer to as,
“The Fortunate Ones”? What memories do they hold from
those times? What impressions did they get from such
a peaceful island? This film pictures a generation that
thinks of this period in a very peculiar way.
Production
Câmara Municipal do Funchal