Sebastião Varela
Directing
Known For

Larissa, a trans woman and Cláudio, a cis man, meet one night, in the streets of Lisbon. Two people, two realities, who dance their differences away till morning light. In challenge, in surprise, in awe and in recognition. An empowering story, free from violence and filled with light and hope for the better days yet to come.
An Avocado Pit

Zé Pedro, the legendary guitar player of Xutos e Pontapés, is the greatest name in Portuguese rock ‘n’ roll. He was its main driving force, not only as the founding guitar player of the greatest Portuguese band ever, but also by promoting the genre as a music critic, radio broadcaster and owner of Johnny Guitar, a mythic club and concert hall in Lisbon where so many bands took their first steps.
Zé Pedro Rock ‘n’ Roll

An adaptation of the short story with the same name by Portuguese writer Eça de Queiroz.
O Tesouro

A large, time-worn house sits on a towering, untouchable pedestal. Ressaca Bailada – Filme Concerto follows individuals as they navigate their relationship with freedom, unity, and isolation within this setting. Celebrating tradition while confronting and questioning it, all against a backdrop of music that shapes the journey.
After Dance – A Concert Film

There’s something different about the atmosphere. An investigator notices that the electromagnetic waves are stronger. Unexpectedly, the answer lies in a human relationship.
Antenna

An adaptation of the short story with the same name by Portuguese writer Teófilo de Braga.
A Pereira da Tia Miséria

A study about memory, an example of obsession or a prison in itself. Rodrigo chooses to submerge himself in a memory, regardless of what got him there or what might happen. Within this dream Rodrigo is happy. When confronted by the memory itself we are left with a question, is this a cry of victory, or the acclamation of defeat?
Naufrágio

It’s a story with many layers. It’s about the painter João Ayres (1921-2001), an artist in transit between Portugal and Africa who became forgotten in the narrative of Modern Art. It’s also a story about his family, who inherited a significant body of work. One of his grandchildren, Diogo Camilo Alves, the narrator, wants to make his grandfather’s art more accessible and has been fighting for its conservation and restoration. It’s also a story about the house that the painter built, where many of his works still reside and where his memory is very much alive.
João Ayres, an Independent Painter

Within the beating heart of Alfama and Mouraria, the hoods meet to tell their story. In a blend of authenticity, roots, traditional music and cause and effect philosophy, they lay it all bare
From the Neighbourhood

A father is hypnotized on his deathbed, following his own method, and is left hanging between life, death, and dreams.