Portugal. Birth of freedom, 1974

Location: Various, Portugal Creator: Luigi Perelli A vivid testimony of the filmmakers present at the events of 25 April 1974 and the following days which saw the end of the fascist regime in Portugal and the beginning of the tumultuous and exciting democratic experience of a country that for decades has lived in the isolation of a dull and ferocious dictatorship. The film documents the conditions of tragic misery in which Portuguese fascism has plunged the country, the violence of a daily repression that ranged from torture against opponents to the cancellation of cultural values, the heavy consequences of a colonial war waged in African possessions. The fall of fascism opens a new historical course for Portugal: the popular demonstrations in the streets and squares of Lisbon, the capture of Pide secret police agents, the release of political prisoners, the return home of the leaders of the left exiled for years, the influx of spectators in theatres and cinemas to finally see uncensored shows, the first free demonstration on May 1st, the passionate fervour of discussions and debates in political, trade union and student canters. 01. Headlines. Tracking shot of the countryside from a speeding car 02. Peasant house. PP of a dog, a woman hanging out the clothes, CL as a whole. Interview with a woman alternating with CL of men and women who plough and cultivate. Interview with a labourer 03. CL and PP on people who collect water. CL of the farmer's house near a canal. A man and a horse plow. Interview in PP with a farmer alternating with Pan demonstrations in the square and CL of their camp. Another alternate interview with various inqs of the camp: animals, children, other laborers, shacks, etc. 04. Pan, in PP and CL, on demonstrations by peasants; rallies; PP and PPP series 05. PP of a man with a camera; Pan on the facade of a building. Inq various in CL and Tot of the moment of the surrender of Caetano in front of the Palazzo della Guardia, PP of the tank that takes away Caetano. Inq various from the top of arrests and beatings; manifestations of happiness after liberation 06. Intervention and reading of the proclamation of the National Salvation Council (General António Ribeiro de Spínola, General Francisco da Costa Gomes, Brigadier General Jaime Silvério Marques, Colonel Colonel Carlos Galvão de Melo, Navy Captain José Pinheiro de Azevedo, Frigate Captain António Rosa Coutinho ). Various incidents on the streets of Lisbon immediately after Caetano's expulsion. Inq various inside and outside the general command of the Pide: weapons, offices 07. Inq of the facade of a prison, PP of the windows, CL on the crowd outside, PP of soldiers in line, prisoners come out of prison, interviews, hugs, writing on the walls. Pan on the crowded street from the prison in Lisbon; Pan in CL on the crowd 08. Pan in CL from above on the crowd at the meeting of Mário Soares, PP of the window from which the meeting is held, CLL on the crowd in the square. Arrival at Alvaro Cunhal airport surrounded by crowds, rally on the tank 09. CL of a port, people get off the docked ships. Various crowds in the street and at the windows: celebrations and flags flying. CLL airplane of the crowd in the street. Pan on soldiers watching, note the carnations on the rifles. Inq various of the processions through the streets of Lisbon for the First of May. Rally by Mario Soares: PP alternating with CL, CLL and PP of the crowd 10. Pan on the facade of a building; interior of a union office; CL of the audience sitting in the hall listening to a rally. Pan inside the Palazzo dello Sport with a gathered crowd. Inq various of the Bridge "25 aprile". Interiors of the Faculty of Engineering: CL and PP during a meeting; interior of the university hospital. Exteriors of the Radiotelevisão Portuguesa: deployed soldiers and various people 11. Interior of a theater: the actor Rogério Paulo speaks to the audience. PP of posters outside a cinema showing Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" and another sign advertising "The Battleship Potëmkin". Posters of the films of Glauber Rocha 12. PP of a man shooting, CL of the facade of the building imaged, interior of the office of the Democratic Electoral Commission full of people 13. Facade and exteriors of the factory of the Sociedades Reunidas de Fabricações Metálicas (Sorefame) and CM and PP on the workers who celebrate and make a procession; meeting in PP alternating with CL and PP of the crowd of workers; Pan in CLL on the smokestacks and industries of Barreiro. Interior of the first headquarters of the Partido Comunista Português in Barreiro: young people sing, work on a mimeograph, paint, put up posters etc. Interior of the Municipality of Barreiro and interview in PP with the delegate representative of the Executive, alternating with various Inq of the city. Young people dismantle the headquarters of the Salazar youth 14. Soldiers on guard outside the Pide Academy, various Inqs inside, Part of writings on the walls of the cells. Interview in PP with a woman alternating with various cells and instruments of torture; tot of cells where fascist soldiers are held awaiting trial 15. Pan among the buildings of a slum on the outskirts of Lisbon: PP of shoe shine, laborers, anti-colonial posters, CM of soldiers at the airport; Pan in CLL on the slums and then in the alleys