In 2015, actor Ruben Alves went on to direct this delicious comedy about the Portuguese community in France. The audience applauds.
For thirty years, Maria and José have occupied a chest in a bourgeois building. Applicable at will, it has become indispensable for everyone. Legacy falls on them from the sky. And now everything collapses for those who exploit them …
Tribute to his parents…
…and to the entire Portuguese community. For the characters of Maria, a janitor for thirty years in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, and for her husband Jose, an honorary mason, Ruben Alves was inspired by his parents who held these positions. “With this movie, I wanted to give them back a little bit of what they gave me. They didn’t know what a movie was. They were so overwhelmed.”. Like many Portuguese. But not only.
international success
With the admission of 1.2 million people in France, the film caused a surprise. In Portugal, it brought in more than $5 million (half of the French recipe) and beat the untouchables to the office box.
The art of playing with clichés
“In France, when we often say we are Portuguese, we ask you if you don’t know anyone for work or cleaning!”says the director. These clichés, he deals with them with great humour. Originally from Portugal, Barbara Cabrita plays the couple’s daughter. The depth that accompanies laughter is touching. “The weight of things unsaid and the distance we put between us, out of modesty, when there is so much love, is very well restored.”
Golden Cage : Monday July 3 at 9:05 pm France time 2
Julien Parcellon
