LUÍS ISMAEL

LECTURE: DEMYSTIFYING THE ACCESSIBILITY ROLE IN CINEMA

BIO

An avid film aficionado, the first film he remembers watching was “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Last Ark”, at the Valongo Cine-theatre. From then on, no one could stop him: he watched everything – literally everything – and that’s how he came to create a very clear vision of the type of films he wanted to make.
A commercial view of cinema and an unbiased attitude towards life also led him to write what he directed.
His “Balas e Bolinhos” trilogy has had the most impact on audiences, with the "Last Chapter" in the saga being the most watched Portuguese film ever, and the success of which is today a case study in Film Schools.
He writes, directs and stars in "Bad Investigate", which continues the directing style he has honed throughout his career, and in which he boosts his brand in Portuguese and international cinema.
In 2018, he made SEFARAD, a film commissioned by the Jewish Community of Porto, in which, through a biographical and historical recreation based on the life story of Captain Barros Basto, he shows audiences a different narrative, but with the same technical and artistic skill.
In 2020, he finished the post-production of the film “1618”, which depicts the Inquisition in Porto and the flight of Jews to Amsterdam. In this second historical recreation, Luís Ismael directs yet another period film, pushing his creativity to the limit and intensifying his passion for directing.