PRESS KIT

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Contacts Pedro Bento | HAPPYGÉNIO Produção Lda pedrobent@gmail.com Tf: +351 21 825 5445 | Tlm: +351 91 495 1027

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INDEX

Synopsis. 3

Director's notes. 4

The Cast. 5

The team. 6

Filming photos. 7 e 8

The Legacy of Manuel Teixeira Gomes. 9 e 10

A President with History. 11

Partners. 12

Contacts. 13

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ZEUS

Manuel Teixeira Gomes. A great writer of erotic literature is elected

President of the Portuguese Republic - a unique case in the world.

Promotes reformist policies, supports the workers fighting the bank. But

at the end of 26 months he say´s: Enough! I'm done! What is the first

boat to leave Lisbon? Not in a month,now! Zeus? It is a freighter? I

dont´t care where they going or if they don´t have any passengers.

They´ll take me. I´m leaving without a paper, nothing to remember my

life as a writer as a or President. And so, at age 65, life changes. His

life took a film: a hymn to life, liberty, courage, sensuality and friendship.

An example for all of us.

_____________________________________

This is the real story, but unknown to the vast majority of the

Portuguese, Manuel Teixeira Gomes, one of the first presidents of the

Portuguese Republic. There is not a President such as he was, a

recognized erotic literature writer who, after resigning from his

presidential post, boards the Dutch freighter Zeus and part into the

unknown - the fate leads him to Algeria where Teixeira Gomes decides

reborn and recognize their right to be happy. The plot of the film is part

of the drama of political events leading up to the implementation of the

dictatorship, the confrontation of great personalities, the mood of our

protagonist, his exile, the romanticism of his passions, the greatness of

his friendships and stunning scenery that runs .It is the work of a

lifetime, the Paulo Filipe Monteiro on a life that was an authentic work

of art - the Manuel Teixeira Gomes.

With the support of ICA / RTP / FDATIC (Argélia)

HAPPYGÉNIO

Happygénio is a

Portuguese film

producer based in

Lisbon that has been

distinguished in the

world of film production,

particularly of historical

documentaries. In our

portfolio we have films

shot in Africa and in

Brazil, proving our

expertise in the

development, production

and co-production in film

and investment in

projects across

borders.Currently we

are also trying our space

in fiction production,

highlighting the feature

film ZEUS Paulo Filipe

Monteiro

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Director´s Notes

Manuel Teixeira Gomes is one of the most illustrious figures that can represent the curiosity and

interest very rooted in the culture of the Maghreb and the interest in sharing his life between the two

shores of this sea, which separates but also unites. He lived his life as a man of free spirit, unique,

bold, and this makes him an excellent protagonist of a feature film. This work is not a documentary but

a biopic, which portrays his life, using mainly situations and true phrases that he left us in his letters

and in his short stories and novels.

Born in Algarve, at the south of Portugal and in front of the sea, TG says that his childhood was

impregnated by the Arab culture: he was told stories of enchanted Moorish and the Arabian Nights.The

customs and sensuality were closer to the North African culture than the European culture and he

always remained faithful to this influence of his childhood. His biographers write a lot about his life in

Portugal, but never have visited Algeria. I, who work for seven years on this project, did research in

this country that allowed me to develop rigorously its Algerian life, since only the first third of the film

takes place before this extraordinary decision, at 65, redo his life across the Mediterranean, where he

stayed for 15 years and where he died.

In Portugal, the ZEUS project was considered excellent by the jury of the Film Institute and placed first

in the 2013 contest RTP, opened in May a public consultation to which we submit ZEUS. In late August

2015 the results were announced: few projects were chosen, but our proposal was selected. In 2005

it was signed a protocol between the governments of Algeria and Portugal, whose clause number 10

explicitly provides for cooperation in film co-productions. No one had applied. We were the first to

achieve this successful partnership between countries.

The film will focus on storytelling, the art of telling a story (I´ve already written seven feature films shot

in Portugal and Japan), in the game of actors, without losing sight of the only cinema values: light,

frameworks, the découpage, rhythms, assembly, music. Gather together an extraordinary team of

artist’s image, sound and performance. We wanted, above all, to give Portugal and the Portuguese

another reason to be proud in its rich history and human heritage, by bringing to each of them the story

of Zeus, Manuel Teixeira Gomes and two nations a sea away.

Paulo Filipe Monteiro

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CAST

José Sinde Filipe Ivo Canelas Idir Benaibouche

Manuel Teixeira Gomes Ramiro Amokrane

Catarina Luís Miguel Cunha Paulo Pires Maria Adelaide João dos Castelos Viana de Carvalho

Rita BrÜtt Carlotto Cotta Paulo Pinto

Ana Rosa Norberto Lopes Cunha Leal

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TEAM

Production | Pedro Bento

Directing | Paulo Filipe Monteiro

Cinematography | João Ribeiro, Mário Castanheira e Vasco Viana

Sound | Gita Cerveira, Olivier Blanc e Quintino Bastos

Sound Mixing and Mixing | Miguel Martins

Film Editing | Tomás Baltazar

Art Direction| João Torres

Costume Design | Sílvia Grabowski

Makeup Department | Sara Menitra

Set

Portugal

Belém Palace, Belém

Cidadela Palace, Cascais

Alcântara Barracks, Lisbon

Military Academy Palace

Algeria

Chemin de la Corniche, Bèjaia - Argélia

Praça Gueydon, Bèjaia - Argélia

Hotel L’Etoile; Bèjaia - Argélia

Deserto de Djanet – Argélia

Runtime: 115 min.

Aspect Ratio: 2:35

Color: Color

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Set Photographs

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The legacy of Manuel Teixeira Gomes

ALGERIA, NOWADAYS

ALGERIAN LYCEUM MANUEL TEIXEIRA GOMES

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HOTEL WHERE MANUEL TEIXEIRA GOMES PASSED AWAY ON THE 18TH OCTOBER,

1941

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A President with History

*Todas as fotos apresentadas são propriedade do Museu da Presidência da República

Is born May 27, 1860 in Vila Nova de

Portimão. He is the son of Jose Libânio

Gomes and Maria da Glória Teixeira Gomes.

After the bohemian and literary life of Lisbon and

already living in Oporto, founded the theater

newspaper Gil Vicente in 1881. In 1890 he returned

to Portimão and dedicated to the fatherly business

exporting dried fruits. From 1899 lives with Belmira

das Neves, of who he has two daughters

In August 1919 is presented by the

Democratic Party as a candidate for

president, but is chosen António José de

Almeida.

Manuel Teixeira Gomes

takes over in 1923 and its

mandate is marked by a

growing party

fragmentation and

governmental instability.

In 1925, disillusioned with

politics, resigns, leaving

the presidency and

boarding in the Dutch

freighter Zeus towards

North Africa, voting to a

voluntary exile.

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Partners

Funders

Co-production

FDATIC - Algérie

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HAPPYGÉNIO, Produção de Filmes Unipessoal, Lda Rua dos Açores, 78

1000-005 Lisboa Portugal

Tel./Fax: +351 218 255 445 TM: +351 91 495 1027

E-mail: happygenio@gmail.com