Sebastião Varela

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.

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.