Fados. 2007. Portugal. Directed by Carlos Saura. Screenplay by Saura, Ivan Dias. With Chico Buarque, Camané, Carlos do Carmo. 35mm. In Portuguese; English subtitles. 89 min.
Spanish director Carlos Saura, who died earlier this year at 91, became internationally known for politically charged narratives that reflected Francisco Franco’s oppressive regime and its traumatic effects on the nation. With Spain’s transition to democracy in the late 1970s, Saura turned to an artistic passion—flamenco—and directed films brimming with musical performances and choreography. Building upon the visual experimentation of his documentary Flamenco (1995) and the Oscar-nominated Tango (1998), Saura paid homage to Portugal’s most celebrated musical genre in Fados (2007), capturing hypnotic performances by Mariza, Camané, Carlos do Carmo, and Carminho, among other “fadistas” (including late-career footage of Amália Rodrigues), and infusing the genre with sounds and movement that shed light on its often-neglected origins in Brazil, Africa, and other neighboring soundscapes with performances by Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque, Lila Downs, and Kola San Jon.