The 1990s in Portuguese Cinema: A Historical and Aesthetic Analysis of Glória by Manuela Viegas

Abstract

This article undertakes an aesthetic analysis of Glória (1999), the sole feature-length film directed by Manuela Viegas, situating it within the broader framework of recent Portuguese cinema history. Since the 1980s, Viegas has established herself as a prominent editor of several pivotal works in Portuguese cinema, including Conversa Acabada (1981) by João Botelho, Silvestre (1981) and À Flor do Mar (1986) by João César Monteiro, Gestos e Fragmentos – Ensaio Sobre os Militares e o Poder (1984) by Alberto Seixas Santos, O Sangue (1990) by Pedro Costa, and A Idade Maior (1991) by Teresa Villaverde, among others. Glória was produced during the 1990s, a particularly fruitful period for Portuguese cinema. This decade was characterized, on the one hand, by continuity, with Portuguese cinema remaining attuned to prevailing aesthetic and formal trends in global filmmaking, and on the other hand, by rupture, particularly regarding questions of identity. During this period, Portuguese cinema sought to transcend the restrictive boundaries of “national” identity, rejecting essentialist notions of “Portugueseness” in favor of a more transhistorical and transnational perspective. In recent years, efforts to reconfigure the historiography of Portuguese cinema have emphasized the pluralization and decentralization of its canonical narrative. This ongoing process has foregrounded the imperative to address significant lacunae, particularly the systematic marginalization of women’s contributions to cinema. This encompasses not only directing but also editing, cinematography, sound design, production, and other domains of film practice. Women’s work in Portuguese cinema has frequently been consigned to the peripheries of critical and historical discourse. The case of Glória is illustrative in this regard, as the film remains underexplored in scholarly and critical literature.