"Vila Faia" (1982) TV series

Seasons:

1

Plot Keywords:

Soap

Cast

Ruy de Carvalho	...	Gonçalo Marques Vila (100 episodes, 1982)
Mariana Rey Monteiro	...	D. Ifigénia (100 episodes, 1982)
Nicolau Breyner	...	João Godunha (100 episodes, 1982)
Ana Zanatti	...	Madalena (100 episodes, 1982)
António Montez	...	Zé Balhão (100 episodes, 1982)
Carlos César	...	Mariano (100 episodes, 1982)
David Silva	...	Sebastião (100 episodes, 1982)
Helena Isabel	...	Inês (100 episodes, 1982)
Isabel Mota	...	Lina (100 episodes, 1982)
João de Carvalho	...	Rafael (100 episodes, 1982)
Luísa Barbosa	...	Ermelinda (100 episodes, 1982)
Luís Esparteiro	...	Manuel Marinhais (100 episodes, 1982)
Mafalda Drummond	...	Rita (100 episodes, 1982)
Manuela Marle	...	Cristina Andrade (100 episodes, 1982)
Margarida Carpinteiro	...	Mariette (100 episodes, 1982)
Miguel Wahnon		(100 episodes, 1982)
Nuno Homem de Sá	...	Pedro Marques Vila (100 episodes, 1982)
Paula Street	...	Joana (100 episodes, 1982)
Rosa Lobato Faria	...	Beatriz Marques Vila (100 episodes, 1982)
Vítor Norte	...	Zé Diniz (100 episodes, 1982)
Victor de Sousa	...	Bruno (100 episodes, 1982)
Glória de Matos	...	Luísa Marinhais (100 episodes, 1982)
Anna Paula	...	Alice (100 episodes, 1982)
Varela Silva	...	Nuno Marinhais (100 episodes, 1982)
João Perry	...	Diogo (100 episodes, 1982)
Virgílio Castelo	...	Pedro Castella (100 episodes, 1982)
Adelaide João	...	Ercília (100 episodes, 1982)
Curado Ribeiro	...	Dr. Salema (100 episodes, 1982)
Cláudia Cadima	...	Solange Marinhais (100 episodes, 1982)
Magda Cardoso		(100 episodes, 1982)
Aníbal Coelho		(100 episodes, 1982)
Fernanda Coimbra	...	Zulmira (100 episodes, 1982)
José Eduardo	...	Dr. Fernando Ramos (100 episodes, 1982)
António Feio	...	Tó (100 episodes, 1982)
Cremilda Gil	...	Rosinha (100 episodes, 1982)
Paula Guedes	...	Catarina (100 episodes, 1982)
Salomé Guerreiro	...	Lúcia (100 episodes, 1982)
Dorel Iacobescu	...	Dorelli (100 episodes, 1982)
Cunha Marques		(100 episodes, 1982)
To-Zé Martinho	...	Silveira (100 episodes, 1982)
Jorge Nery	...	Camacho (100 episodes, 1982)
Francisco Nicholson	...	Inspector Serôdio (100 episodes, 1982)
Ana Pereira		(100 episodes, 1982)
Mário Sargedas	...	Gonzaga e Cunha (100 episodes, 1982)
Fernando Soares		(100 episodes, 1982)
Cristina Trovão		(100 episodes, 1982)
Ana Filipe Nogueira	...	Clarisse (96 episodes, 1982)
Francisco Brás		(90 episodes, 1982)
Luísa Freitas		(86 episodes, 1982)
José Luis Peres	...	Canaveiro (75 episodes, 1982)
Clarisse Belo		(66 episodes, 1982)

Country:

Portugal

Language:

Portuguese

Color:

Color

Company:

Edipim

Movie Connections:

Remade as "Vila Faia" (2008)

well, it was the first one

Vila Faia is currently being repeated on the new Portuguese cable channel "RTP Memória" (RTP memory, of course). That's why I decided to comment.

I am not exactly the most adequate person to comment on this series since I am not Portuguese-born. When the series was aired first, I didn't understand at all what they were saying. Now, after living here over 20 years I of course understand it probably better than anything coming from my native Germany.

I am surprised that no one has commented yet on this Portuguese TV series. It marks the first Portuguese attempt to produce an epic and melodramatic TV series molded exactly after the Brazilian "telenovela". It can't be accurately translated into English (soap opera being the closest) because the whole idea behind this format - a melodramatic epic usually showing parallel stories of rich and a poor characters spanning over a hundred episodes running well over a year - is Latin/Latin American. Yes the British have done that long ago but the whole feel is totally different because it's a totally different culture with totally different values and behavior.

To my best of knowledge the "telenovelas" actually originated in Mexico - at least this is the country currently producing the highest number of these.

Vila Faia was back then, and still remains, at best a shy attempt at the format. The story, camera work, lighting, production values, timing and much of the acting are very weak showing a great lack of experience.

The story evolves around a rich family of wine producers and their troubles. The great Ruy de Carvalho, a stage trained actor, manages to bring weight and importance to a rather dull script trying to portrait the "real Portugal" but it doesn't provide any insight. It actually only portrays the way the Portuguese would like to see themselves - I find the attempts at showing the decay of the rich and powerful people somehow half hearted. But back then viewers had to make do with this series, and I'm sure many people found it most entertaining to see something familiar on the TV screen instead of the Brazilian, British and American material which was dominating.

The other actor worth watching is Nicolau Breyner, playing the troubled alcoholic truck driver (he manages to be kind of sober when driving though). Breyner also directed the actors. I don't want to belittle anyone else but most performances are frankly weak - the transition from stage was pehaps too hard to handle in this first attempt.

O.K. one exception: Manuela Marle, playing the girlfriend of the rebel son of the rich family, is so gorgeous that she hardly needs to act anyway.

Part of the problem definitely comes from the experimental stage the format was in back then. By now, over 20 years later, the very same actors, most still work, do excellent jobs with the same format that has become a standard in Portugal by now. The stiff "where and how should I look? Never mind." style with ridiculous over dramatization and bad timing is gone and replaced by a more relaxed and flowing style. Still the Brazilian telenovelas, most of these aired in Portugal as well, are miles ahead regarding the acting. Maybe Brazilians are always acting...

The music, if I'm not mistaken by the late Thilo Krassmann, is surprisingly good. It is in part molded after Brazilian music with rich harmonies and beautiful melodic lines, mostly used for transition as opposed to underscoring. This style is gone forever - in any country - by now, replaced by pop songs and more trendy stuff.

Good to hear that once they had real musicians trying to play beautiful music. I don't say it still should be that way, the approach has run its course, it's just nice to hear that is was possible once, a long time ago.

This series is of value because it marks a beginning. Worth only for the great performances of Ruy de Carvalho and Nicolau Breyner - and the pleasant music.