Pedro Moutinho

The National Theater was the scene last night of the documentary Fados, made by Spanish director Carlos Saura. Following the film, fado singer Pedro Moutinho accompanied by Ricardo Ross and Daniel Pinto on guitars, sang for the audience. The film´s producer, Antonio Saura, answered questions from the audience about the filmmaking process and selection of fado singers who were featured in the documentary.

Antonio, son of Carlos Saura, explained that the entire movie was filmed in a studio because "my father did not want to show the typical filming of the fado singers on the streets of Lisbon. He wanted to capture the music in its pure state and with minimalist elements," said Antonio Saura.

Antonio Saura, Pedro Moutinho

From the Latin word "fatum" synonymous with fate or destiny, the fado can be traced back to the 19th century. It is the Portuguese musical expression of the moments of life, of the mundane activities of daily life. Fado is the music of the people, born of the people and their sadness. It tells stories of love and jealousy and invites reflection in times of suffering.

Although the documentary has been criticized for being made exclusively in Portuguese without Spanish subtitles, the director felt the music should speak for itself, from the bodies of the singers which express the sentiment and magic of the songs, said Antonio Saura in a conversation with the audience.

 This documentary has already won several awards, among them the Spanish Film Writers Circle Award, Goya Award for Best Original Song, the CEC Prize for Best Documentary and the Goya nomination for the Best Documentary.