Who Are You? (2001 film)

Who Are You? is a 2001 Portuguese historical drama film written and directed by João Botelho. It premiered in competition at the 58th Venice International Film Festival.

Cast

Rui Morrison as Manuel de Sousa Coutinho / Friar Luís de Sousa
Suzana Borges as Madalena de Vilhena
Patrícia Guerreiro as Donna Maria de Noronha
José Pinto as Telmo Pais
Rogério Samora as Friar Jorge
Francisco D'Orey as O Romeiro / D. João de Portugal
Gustavo Sumpta as Miranda
Marga Muguambe as Doroteia
Carlos Costa as Prior of Benfica
Bruno Martelo as Sebastian I
Luís Pinhão as Henry I

Production

The film is an adaptation of the Almeida Garrett's 1843 drama play Frei Luís de Sousa.

Release

The film entered the main competition at the 58th edition of the Venice Film Festival, in which it was awarded the Fondazione Mimmo Rotella Prize.

Reception

Variety's critic David Stratton described the film as "like an opera without music, or akin to filming a Shakespeare play on stage without opening up its cinematic possibilities". Roberto Nepoti from La Repubblica praised it, referring to it as "a splendid and difficult film", "a bare and elegant, solemnand heartbreaking representation that challenges you but, in the end, leaves you admiring and enriched". Lietta Tornabuoni in La Stampa called it " an exceptional film" and wrote "one watches such an unusual film with a sense of ecstatic awe of a unique experience".