Magazine
Francisco Valente
Born in Lisbon, Francisco Valente has travelled far and beyond, both in real life - and through movies, he might tell you. The son of a diplomat, he and his family lived abroad for some time before settling in Portugal.
We met him at Cinemateca, which is fitting for many reasons, the first of which being the staggering beauty of this building as you move from the century old facades to its elegantly rich interiors, in décor, history and stories.
One could easily call Lisbon his hometown, but as soon as you look at his evolution through cinema, it becomes quite evident that the movies are really where Francisco finds the comfort and solace we associate with home. Once a spectator, then a movie critic, now a director and film programmer, he seems to be well on his way.
Maybe it was serendipity then that Mr. Valente was wearing the white linen shirt at the exact moment in which he spoke about how important it is to him, as a programmer, to shed a contemporary light on old classics. Our thoughts exactly, Francisco.
Words: Vasco Mendonça
Photos: Pedro Gaspar