Solar Eclipse

August 12 | 9:30 p.m.

Solar – Cinematic Art Gallery

On August 12, for the first time in over a century, a total solar eclipse will be visible in Portugal. In Vila do Conde, the eclipse will reach an occultation percentage of approximately 98%, with maximum occultation expected at 7:30 p.m.

Solar – Cinematic Art Gallery is partnering with the Vila do Conde City Council and the Vila do Conde Ciência Viva Center to celebrate this rare phenomenon by presenting a special outdoor film screening dedicated to the imagery of eclipses.

The body of short films inspired by eclipses is surprisingly extensive. Perhaps this is because the cinematic experience itself arises from the relationship between light and darkness. Between astronomical phenomena and cosmic revolutions, between concealment and revelation, the four films in this program evoke an experience akin to observing an eclipse: looking at what becomes visible when light is no longer the same.

The program features:

• Sol Negro (Maureen Fazendeiro, Portugal/France, 2019, 7') – Glimpses of the solar eclipse of March 20, 2015, in Lisbon, accompanied by a letter that evokes life on a distant land.

• One Equal Light (Annie MacDonell and Maider Fortuné, France/Canada, 2026, 15') – A visual essay on the 2024 solar eclipse, where ghosts, birth, death, and the poetry of John Donne intersect in a reflection on change and transformation.

• Polly One (Kevin Jerome Everson, USA, 2017, 6') – A recording of the 2017 solar eclipse, filmed in the skies over North Carolina, as part of a series dedicated to the cinematic observation of this phenomenon.

• Just Ancient Loops (Bill Morrison, USA, 2013, 25') – A film constructed from archival footage, animation, and chemical processes, inspired by the idea of the “music of the spheres,” with a soundtrack by Michael Harrison performed by cellist Maya Beiser.
  

Best of Curtas

August 28 | 9:30 p.m.

Solar – Cinematic Art Gallery

The second special outdoor film screening features a selection of four films that were honored at the 2026 edition of Curtas Vila do Conde – International Film Festival. Bringing together award-winning works from the international fiction and animation competitions, this program offers an opportunity to revisit some of the most memorable titles from the festival’s latest edition.

The program includes:

• The Last Spring (Mathilde Bédouet, France, 2026, 15', Animation) – A delicate animated film that follows a child facing the inevitable changes in the world around them, exploring memory, loss, and the passage of time.

• OH BOYS (Antonio Donato, Italy/United Kingdom/USA, 2026, 17', Fiction) – A sensitive portrait of contemporary masculinity, in which a group of young men confront expectations, emotions, and vulnerabilities at a decisive moment in their lives.

• Nothing Happens After Your Absence (Ibrahim Omar, Sudan, 2026, 16', Fiction) – Set against the backdrop of Sudan’s political context, the film explores the absence of a loved one and the impact it has on the lives of those left behind.

• What Do the Machines Dream Of (Sarra Ryma, Algeria/France, 2026, 23', Fiction) – A poetic narrative that blends tradition with a desire for freedom, following characters who seek to imagine possible futures in a daily life marked by limitations and expectations.

Bringing together some of the most notable films from the 2026 edition of Curtas Vila do Conde, this screening offers an opportunity to rediscover works that left their mark on the festival and to meet some of the filmmakers who are making their mark on the international short film scene.

Tickets at bol.pt.