On June 13 and June 26, the documentary “Feminismos: A Liberdade de Ser” (“Feminisms: The Freedom to Be”) premiered in Porto and Lisbon, respectively, with free public screenings that filled the Cinema Passos Manuel and Cinema Fernando Lopes (Lusófona University, Lisbon). These premiere events are part of a broader effort to bring feminist narratives, struggles, and voices into public debate, and were developed within the scope of the FEMglocal research project.
Directed and written by Ana Sofia Pereira and Vanessa Ribeiro Rodrigues, the film offers more than a documentary experience, it is a gesture of listening, archiving, and collective memory. Framed around the March 8 feminist demonstration, the film traces behind-the-scenes moments: hand-painted signs, slogan rehearsals, and intimate conversations that weave together past and present, clandestinity and visibility, resistance and celebration.
Featuring 28 testimonies from researchers, activists, public figures, and anonymous voices from diverse backgrounds, “Feminismos: A Liberdade de Ser” constructs a plural and intersectional feminist narrative deeply rooted in Portuguese realities. Drawing from archival footage, protest imagery, activist materials, and life stories, the documentary paints a vivid portrait of a country still fighting for equality and freedom.
Both screenings were followed by open conversations with the directors and the project’s principal investigators, Carla Cerqueira and Célia Taborda, fostering rich and intergenerational exchanges with the audience. The feedback received was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the film’s emotional impact, educational value, and contribution to feminist memory and visibility in Portugal.
“Feminismos: A Liberdade de Ser” was developed as part of FEMglocal – Glocal feminist movements: interactions and contradictions, a research project funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through national funds (PTDC/COM-CSS/4049/2021 / DOI 10.54499/PTDC/COM-CSS/4049/2021).