You have a lot of freedom to choose! This blogathon celebrates the contributions of Lusophones and their descendants to world cinema. Take that statement at its broadest to find your specific topic. Also, covering anyone with a smidgen of ancestry is welcome. In regards to Portuguese-Americans, they know who shares even the tiniest bit of heritage because that is how hungry they are for media representation.
While this blog is focused on classic film, I am not restricting time periods. You can choose a subject from the silent era right up to the present day. You could review a film from a Lusophone country or one that depicts Lusophones. You could write a biography of a creative working in film or review a film the person made. If you’re more visual, you can create a photo-based post whether it’s a themed gallery of film stills or a gallery tribute to an actor or actress. If you’re more multimedia, links to participating vlogs or podcasts on Lusophone film subjects are welcome!
Be as creative as you like!
I’m not going to limit coverage of a particular person to only one blogger, but with so many individuals available to profile, I heartily encourage you to not select the same subject as another writer.
More explicitly: Please let’s not have everyone choose Carmen Miranda! She was beautiful, talented, of multiple worlds, and controversial. She’s fun and juicy to write about. She’s the best known Lusophone film performer in the United States. Let’s help others share her spotlight!
That said if you do want to cover the same film person as another, I encourage you to find a different angle. Someone may write a straight biography, while another person reviews a specific film performance.
The lack of documentation of the Lusophone experience within American motion pictures is a challenge. Their cultural heritage might be mentioned in interviews or biographies, but it might not be delved into as a significant subject. Other times their heritage isn’t directly referenced. I’ve seen Keanu Reeves mentioned as having “European” heritage. You might not be able to discuss their identity as a Lusophone working in film, but you certainly can and should mention their heritage in your piece.
Lusophone Countries & Regions
In searching for topics, remember that Lusophone means Portuguese-speaking. A Lusophone does not have to be of Portuguese descent and might not even have any European ancestry. The major Lusophone countries or regions of the world are located in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. They are Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, East Timor, Goa, Macau, and the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe. Diasporas and immigration mean that Lusophones and their descendants can be found all over the world!
Possible Topics
This isn’t a complete list of every Lusophone descendant who’s ever worked in world cinema, but I want to help those looking for blogathon topics by providing names that could inspire a post. I’ve created two lists–one for classic film era creatives and another for contemporary film. Within each of those lists, I’ve divided names by their contribution to film–director, actress, writer, etc.
Classic Film Era
Actors/Actresses
Mary Astor, Helena D’Algy, Tony D’Algy, Dorothy DeBorba, Joe DeRita, Arthur Duarte, Louise Fazenda, Hal De Forrest, Lena Horne, Carmen Miranda, Nestor Paiva, Harold Peary, and António Silva
Director
Manoel de Oliveira
Films
A Canção de Lisboa (1933), Accent on Love (1941), All the Brothers Were Valiant (1953), Captains Courageous (1937), Daughters Courageous (1939), Deep Waters (1948), He Was Her Man (1934), Limite (1931), Orfeu Negro (1959), Tiger Shark (1932), and Voice in the Wind (1944)
Contemporary Film Era
Actors/Actresses
Krista Allen, Michael Beach, Camilla Belle, Rowan Blanchard, Brooke Burke, Robert Capron, Auliʻi Cravalho, Joaquim de Almeida, Maria de Medeiros, Priscilla Faia, Shiloh Fernandez, Sky Ferreira, Lyndsy Fonseca, Santino Fontana, Tom Franco, Dave Franco, Michelle Gomez, Khalid Gonçalves, Jasmine Guy, Tom Hanks, Colin Hanks, Lena Horne, Thiago Lacerda, Vanessa Marcil, Paolo Marinou-Blanco, Sara Martins, Rue McClanahan, Danica McKellar, Tamara Mello, Jesse Metcalfe, Shanna Moakler, Edgar Morais, Katy Perry, Jada Pinkett Smith, Amy Poehler, Maitê Proença, Keanu Reeves, Cauã Reymond, Amber Rose, Anika Noni Rose, Daniela Ruah, Malvino Salvador, Al Santos, Karla Souza, Ashley Holliday Tavares, Chelsea Tavares, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Dilshad Vadsaria, Karen Valentine, Amber Valletta, and Meredith Vieira
Directors
Lauro António, Mário Barroso, João Botelho, João Canijo, Bruno de Almeida, Manoel de Oliveira, James DePaiva, Pedro Costa, Margarida Cordeiro, Ivo M. Ferreira, José Fonseca e Costa, Miguel Gomes, Miguel Gonçalves Mendes, João Mário Grilo, Fernando Lopes, Marco Martins, Janet Mock, João César Monteiro, José Nascimento, Joaquim Pinto, António Reis, Luís Filipe Rocha, João Pedro Rodrigues, Valeria Sarmiento, Alcides Soares, António-Pedro Vasconcelos, and Teresa Villaverde
Multi-Hyphenates
James Franco, Vasco Nunes, Victor Quinaz, J. G. Quintel, and John Soares
Films
A Dama de Chandor (1999), A Trança Feiticeira (1996), Casa de Lava (1995), Fairhaven (2012), Mystic Pizza (1988), Passionada (2002), Scandal: The Trial of Mary Astor (2018), and Vale Abraão (1993)
Every Page About the Blogathon!
The Luso World Cinema Blogathon, Part 1: Why?
The Luso World Cinema Blogathon, Part 2: Co-Host
The Luso World Cinema Blogathon, Part 3: Who or What to Write About?
The Luso World Cinema Blogathon, Part 4: Guidelines
The Luso World Cinema Blogathon, Part 5: Banner Art
The Luso World Cinema Blogathon, Part 6: The Participants & Topics
