Behind the Walls
The doors are closed. There are no more screenings of this film.
Synopsis: Portuguese authorities keep no data on ethnicity or race because they find that identifying people by race is discriminatory. Yet, ignoring the data is giving people the right to accept that racism in Portugal does not exist, leaving those in minority communities angered and hopeless because their rights are being taken away. This story will capture the lives of people, and how they really feel about living in their homes. Uncovering their true thoughts, fears, and struggles. It will uncover a system and is unjust and corrupt.
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Starring
Lucia Furtado
Mamadou Ba
Jose Fernandes
Carla Fernandes
Directed by
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Director's Statement
Being born an Indian- American in the 90’s, I did not see much of myself in the media around me, and therefore could not relate. Growing up I found myself relating to many minorities around me especially African Americans. Most of my friends were African Americans, I mainly listened to rap and hip-hop, and related to the culture. After getting the opportunity to make a documentary in Portugal about the hidden racism, I had to do everything I could to give them a voice. Knowing the struggles that they have already overcome, I wanted to provide them with a platform so that their struggle could be heard internationally.
It would be a long 2-3 months of researching and building connections to hear their stories and understand how deep these problems were rooted. I had to do much digging in order to obtain the information I was looking for as there have clearly been attempts to hide this information from international community.
With these articles came great activists, journalists, and every day citizens. Their stories are so different yet unite this issue in a bold way. I found some challenges in telling such stories in a seamless way. But after reviewing the footage, I found a way for each story to connect.
Director's Bio
Reetu Shah is a filmmaker based in Collegeville Pennsylvania, having graduated from Penn State Film in 2018. Reetu works as a freelance editor and videographer for films and weddings. She directs and edits documentaries and Bollywood music videos in her spare time. Having family ties in the Bollywood music industry, she hopes to captivate people through story-telling and music.
