José e Pilar (2010)

"José and Pilar," a documentary by Miguel Gonçalves Mendes, is a deeply moving story about love, loss and literature. It follows the days of José Saramago, the Nobel-laureate Portuguese ... See full summary »

Director:

Miguel Gonçalves Mendes

Stars:

João Afonso, Àngels Barceló, Pilar del Río

4 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
João Afonso	...	Himself
Àngels Barceló	...	Herself (voice)
Pilar del Río	...	Herself
Juan Echanove	...	Himself
Gael García Bernal	...	Himself
Gabriel García Márquez	...	Himself
Tarja Halonen	...	Herself
Paco Ibáñez	...	Himself
Tomás Eloy Martínez	...	Himself
Fernando Meirelles	...	Himself
César Antonio Molina	...	Himself
María Pagés	...	Herself
Luis Pastor	...	Himself
Miguel Ríos	...	Himself
José Saramago	...	Himself

Storyline

"José and Pilar," a documentary by Miguel Gonçalves Mendes, is a deeply moving story about love, loss and literature. It follows the days of José Saramago, the Nobel-laureate Portuguese novelist, and his wife, Pilar del Rio. The film shows their whirlwind life of international travel, his passion for completing his masterpiece, "The Elephant's Journey" and how their love quietly sustains them throughout. "Jose and Pilar" reveals the hidden Saramago, unravels any preconceived notions about him, and proves that genius and simplicity are indeed compatible. It is a funny and touching portrait on the endurance of the artistic spirit. A glimpse into the life of one of the greatest creators of the 20th century, it shows us that, as Saramago says, "There is always another way to say everything."

---

Plot Keywords:

love | novel | reference to god | nobel prize | meaning of life

---

Taglines:

The universe won't remember us. It won't remember Homer wrote The Odyssey.

---

Genres:

Documentary | Biography

---

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Portugal Spain Brazil

Language:

Spanish Portuguese

Release Date:

April 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

José y Pilar

Filming Locations:

Helsinki, Finland

Company Credits

Production Co:

JumpCut, El Deseo S.A., O2 Filmes

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

José and Pilar's song "Já Não Estar", by Camané, is featured in the 39-song list of Oscar 2012 pre-nominees for Best Song.

---

Quotes

José Saramago: Chaos is an order to decipher.

---

Soundtracks

"La vie en rose"
Written by David Santos
Performed by Noiserv

User Reviews

An extraordinary life lesson

José & Pilar is one of the best documentaries out there, no doubt about it. The Director Miguel Gonçalves was able to put together Saramago's soul and life, comprising the importance of Pilar del Río in Saramago's world. Saramago's struggle to fight the right battles and live his life in accordance with his believes are extraordinary lessons of humanity and social sensibility. Moreover, Pilar's role in Saramago's life and her love for him are simply unique. The mixture of romance and wisdom gives the tone of the movie and it is a privilege to watch the Literature Noble Prize Winner in his intimacy, following his day by day routine, surrounded by his books, lover and, of course, the ocean... The volcanic island shoots are amazing! To sum up, the documentary is outstanding and deserves top score. I doubt anyone thinks otherwise...