À Flor do Mar (1986)

Director:

João César Monteiro

Writer:

João César Monteiro (scenario and dialogue)

Release Date:

2 October 1986 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Laura Rossellini, a widow from Rome, vacations on the Algarve coast one hot summer. One day while sunbathing...

Plot Keywords:

Car | Seaside | American | Italian | Refugee

Cast

Laura Morante	...	Laura Rossellini
Philip Spinelli	...	Robert Jordan
Manuela de Freitas	...	Sara
Teresa Villaverde	...	Rosa
Georges Claisse	...	Antoine
Sérgio Antunes	...	Roberto
Rita Figueiredo	...	Maria
Conceição Senna	...	Senhora
Haddy Moss	...	Chefe dos assaltantes
João César Monteiro	...	Stavroguine (as JCM)

Directed by
João César Monteiro

Writing credits
João César Monteiro		(scenario and dialogue)

Produced by
João César Monteiro	....	producer

Cinematography by
Acácio de Almeida

Film Editing by
Marina Carvalho
Leonor Guterres
Manuela Viegas

Production Design by
Jean-François Auger

Costume Design by
Mariana Leireles

Makeup Department
Ana Lorena	....	makeup artist

Production Management
José Mazeda	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pedro M. Ruivo	....	assistant director (as Pedro Ruivo)

Art Department
Teresa Mota	....	props
Vera Pinto	....	props

Sound Department
Jérôme Lévy	....	foley artist
Vasco Pimentel	....	sound
Joaquim Pinto	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Jorge Caldas	....	electrician
João Gaspar	....	assistant camera
José António Loureiro	....	assistant camera

Other crew
Armanda Bacelar	....	production secretary
João Pedro Bénard	....	production assistant (as João P. Bénard da Costa)
Fernando Vendrell	....	continuity

Distributors

• Madragoa Filmes (2003) (worldwide) (all media)
• Gemini Films (1994) (France) (theatrical)
• Gemini Video Editions (2004) (France) (DVD) (box set)

Other Companies

• Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian  sponsored by
• Instituto Português de Cinema (IPC)  sponsored by
• Tobis Portuguesa  laboratory services

Also Known As:

Hovering Over the Water (International: English title) (festival title)
Ultramarina (Portugal)

Runtime:

143 min | France:151 min

Country:

Portugal

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Certification:

Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Algarve, Portugal

Soundtrack:

Adadio ma non tanto da Sonata no III en mi maior BWV 1016

João César Monteiro has made a different film.

A lot can be said about Portuguese director João César Monteiro and his films which are different from one another.One great thing about his works is that they have the ability to impress viewers by making them appreciate the value of a mature story which develops slowly.This is the reason why a lot of patience is required to truly assess the greatness of his films.João César Monteiro is one of the few directors whose films are not for pop corn munching audiences who excel in inane bigotry.As far as this film is concerned one should not be misled by what is written as synopsis."À Flor do Mar" is something more than few words which have been written as a condensed statement.The truth is that there is hardly any story in the film.What we really see are numerous moods and mood swings of various characters which have no bearing on this film's beginning,middle or end.By showing an isolated house,a beach and a seashore Joao Cesar Monteiro has revealed some of the most precious hidden talents of Portuguese actress Teresa Villaverde.