‘Variações’ is already the most viewed Portuguese movie of the year
More than 84,000 people have seen the movie that portrays the life of Antonio Variações.
A week after the premiere, the feature film about the life of the enigmatic musician António Variações is already the most viewed Portuguese film of the year in cinema.
The film made by João Maia totaled 84,105 spectators and surpassed “Snu”, which ranked first in the national film ranking with 82,366 spectators, according to data from the Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual (ICA).
‘Variações’ is inspired by the life of the minhoto barber António Joaquim Rodrigues Ribeiro, who wished to live on music and who in Lisbon became António Variações, marking Portuguese music since the 1980s.
Sérgio Praia who, besides the physical interpretation of the musician, also sings all the songs, recreating the embryonic composition and recording sessions of the songs in several cassettes – alone at home with a recorder and a rhythm box – until the first performance of Variações, at the Trumps disco in Lisbon in 1981.
The film focuses mainly on the transformation of Antonio Ribeiro into António Variações, in a period of life between 1977 and 1981.
Besides Sérgio Praia, the cast includes, among others, Filipe Duarte, Victoria Guerra, Augusto Madeira, Filipe Albuquerque, Lucia Moniz, Afonso Lagarto, Maria Jose Paschoal, Jose Raposo and Dinarte Freitas.
Bold and irreverent, influenced by fado, popular music, and pop-rock, Antonio Variations died at age 39 on June 13, 1984. He left only two albums edited shortly before he died: ‘Guardian Angel’ (1983) and ‘ Giving and receiving ‘(1984).
