Beatriz's War (Portuguese: A Guerra da Beatriz) is a 2013 drama film directed by Luigi Acquisto and Bety Reis. It is the first full-length feature film to be produced by East Timor.[1][2] Its premiere was on 17 September 2013 in Dili. The film was shown in the first month to 30,000 East Timorese at outdoor screenings.[1] It was screened at the 2013 Adelaide Film Festival.[3] It won Golden Peacock (Best Film) at the 44th International Film Festival of India.

Beatriz's War
Directed byLuigi Acquisto
Bety Reis
Written byLuigi Acquisto
Irim Tolentino
Produced byLuigi Acquisto
Lurdes Pires
Stella Zammataro
StarringIrim Tolentino
Augusta Soares
José da Costa
CinematographyValeriu Campan
Edited byNick Calpakdjian
Music byOsme Gonsalves
Jamie Saxe
Production
companies
Dili Film Works
FairTrade Films
Release date
  • 17 September 2013 (2013-09-17)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryEast Timor
LanguagesTetum
Indonesian
Budget$200,000 AUD[1]

Plot

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The film is based on the story of Martin Guerre[4] in 16th-century France, transplanted into the setting of East Timor during the Indonesian occupation. The film revolves around the life of a young East Timorese woman named Beatriz. The story begins with Beatriz meeting her future husband, Tomas, as children. The two marry young and soon after their wedding the Indonesian invasion of East Timor begins. Beatriz fights for her true love and her country.

Cast

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  • Irim Tolentino as Beatriz: a young Timorese woman who joins the resistance struggle against the Indonesian occupation[5]
    • Sandra da Costa as young Beatriz
  • Augusta Soares as Teresa: Tomas' sister who, at Beatriz's urging, becomes Sumitro's wife[6][7]
    • Doretea Soares as young Teresa
  • José da Costa as Tomás dos Anjos: Beatriz's husband who is arrested by Indonesian forces and disappears[8]
    • Eugenio Soares as young Tomás
    • Raimundo dos Santos as 19-year-old Tomás
  • Osme Gonsalves as Father Nicolau: a sympathetic Catholic priest[6]
  • Gaspar Sarmento as Captain Sumitro: an Indonesian officer in charge of Kraras village[5]
  • Funu Lakan as Celestino dos Anjos: Tomás' father and a Falintil guerrilla[7][9]
  • Bety Reis as Estela: Beatriz's mother[7]
  • Newtom Varudo Filipe as an Indonesian army captain[10]
  • Evangelina Soares Gama as Kemala: Sumitro and Teresa's daughter[7]
  • Nazarello Martins as Celestino Jr.: Tomás and Beatriz's son[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Fresh start for East Timor's film scene". Sydney Morning Herald. 2 October 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  2. ^ "Beatriz's War". The Film Catalogue. Archived from the original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  3. ^ "Beatriz's War". Adelaide Film Festival. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  4. ^ "Beatriz's War Review".
  5. ^ a b Wilson, Jake (1 July 2014). "Beatriz's War review: East Timor's first feature shows a past most haunted". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  6. ^ a b Cockrell, Eddie (29 October 2013). "Beatriz's War Review". SBS What's On. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e Hearman, Vannessa (5 September 2018). "Screening East Timorese Women and History in Timor-Leste's Beatriz's War". Gender & History. 30 (3) – via Curtin University.
  8. ^ Jusuf, Windu (21 December 2014). "'Beatriz's War': Timor Leste's first feature film". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  9. ^ Frew, Wendy (30 September 2012). "Love story amid blood-soaked birth of nation". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Beatriz's War". IMDb. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
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