Synopsis

In the Azores "triangle", three volcanic islands in the Atlantic, deeply rooted communities face contemporary challenges in the midst of mysterious nature, holy rituals, scientific research, seafarers and new settlers.

"Mistérios" is an intimate kaleidoscope of people and stories that circulate throughout Faial, Pico and São Jorge, three islands that form the "triangle" of the Azores, a geographic and human microcosm in the center of transatlantic routes, between extreme isolation and enormous openness to the world.

For 5 years we follow the intense daily life of the islands, the daily boat traffic that links the islands: the trade, the local produce; and the challenges of modern life, with the arrival of new inhabitants, tourists, ships and investments. the work of the land and the sea, big parties, ritualistic events with offerings of meat and bread, and collective vows that demonstrate the devotion of the island communities characterized by the coexistence of volcanic and seismic events, - In these islands, “Mistérios" (mysteries) is the name given by the early settlers to the strange lava formations, a phenomenon that could not be explained at the time.

Privileged access and immersion in reality provide me with the opportunity to film and follow the dynamics of the islands’ people, places and events on an almost daily basis for a long period. Translated into a visual record, that opportunity reconciles my most concrete needs to chronicle current events with the development of my personal and artistic approach over time.

The velocity of the filmic register reflects the pace of the events documented, with a gaze focused on the depth of things and beings.

Nature, relentless and powerful, regulates the pace and intensity of human existence, always lived with strength and humor.

Director´s Note

I am the grandson of Azoreans and spent many childhood vacations in the Azores. In 2007, in memory of my mother, I made my first movie, Balaou, on the island of São Miguel. Then I went to the smallest island of the archipelago, Corvo, where I filmed It's The Earth Not The Moon (2011). 

In this third Azorean film I wanted to work on a broader scale. The Azores are the most isolated islands in the North Atlantic Ocean and their unity is relative, as the nine islands extend over 2300 km. In the center is the so-called Azorean Triangle of the islands of Faial, Pico and São Jorge, inhabited by about 40,000 people. Only these three islands are connected by daily sea transportation, so their inhabitants live as in a single territory, an archipelago within the archipelago, where this movie is constructed.

In 2017 I left Lisbon and moved to a house at one end of this triangle, next to the youngest undersea volcano in the world, the Capelinhos Volcano. I needed to become a resident myself, to gain the trust of the community and privileged access to places, the people and their stories. 

MYSTERIES is a film that has been in research since 2017 and started shooting in April 2019. It has been in continuous shooting since then.