Festival Aqui Acolá

Rota do Contrabando

Synopsis:

At the beginning of the last century, Madeira was known as the island of aguardente (a type of brandy). Excessive consumption of this drink became a social problem. In 1927, 34 sugarcane mills closed, production decreased, and its commercialization was controlled. As an alternative, the people began to clandestinely produce their own aguardente from wine lees, an activity severely punished by the authorities. From the North to the South of the Island, an illicit transport began, covering 25 km with about 50 liters on their backs, and despite several arrests, the activity lasted approximately 50 years along trails that became known as the smuggling route.

Production: Município da Ponta do Sol; Retoiça – Associação Cultural, Desportiva e Recreativa

Coordination: António do Vale; Rui Nelson; Eduardo Costa

Director: Eduardo Costa – Produções Audiovisuais

Year: 2016

26 minutes

Revolta do Leite

Synopsis:

On July 4, 1936, Salazar's government published Decree-Law No. 26655. With the application of this decree, milk prices came under the control of large economic interests, forcing the closure of 760 milk delivery points throughout the island.

The wronged people felt that this measure did not defend their interests and revolted. Around six hundred people were imprisoned, and eight died. As a consequence of the governmental reorganization, the main source of revenue for the regional economy at the time became disorganized, and thousands of small producers abandoned this activity.

Time has confirmed the reason and the popular concern expressed in 1936 during the "Milk Revolt".

Production: Município da Ponta do Sol; Retoiça; Grupo de Folclore da Ponta do Sol; Retoiça - Associação Cultural, Desportiva e Recreativa

Coordination: António do Vale

Direction: Eduardo Costa – Produções Audiovisuais

Year: 2017

44 minutes

Feiteira

Synopsis:

The Feiteira plant was of great importance to rural communities, to the point of being fundamental to their very survival.

At a time when chemical fertilizers were scarce or nonexistent, this plant maintained abundant harvests, helping populations to earn their living from the land.

This documentary portrays this cycle.

Production: Retoiça – Associação Cultural, Desportiva e Recreativa

Coordination: Rui Nelson

Direction: Eduardo Costa – Produções Audiovisuais

Year: 2025

45 minutes

Espírito Divino (A Aqui Acolá Documentary)

Synopsis:

In the municipality of Ponta do Sol, the tradition of Easter Visits remains alive as a symbol of faith, identity, and community. This documentary delves into the meticulous preparations of the women in traditional rural settings—from the making of the dress, cape, and precious gold jewelry, or even just a few jewels, to the presentation of their hair—reflecting the elegance and profound cultural significance of this ritual. The journey through the homes, where the Easter visit is received with devotion and joy, reveals the continuity of a tradition that spans generations. Between memories, emotions, and symbolism, this documentary unveils the essence of a custom that continues to unite families and strengthen the bonds of faith.

Production: Município da Ponta do Sol; aStudio

Direction: Roberto Assis

Year: 2025

36 minutes

Costumes e Tradições da Nossa Terra

Synopsis:

The lands that make up the municipality of Ponta do Sol extend from the sea to the mountains. They are located on the South Coast of Madeira Island, the sunniest and warmest, and benefit from a favorable climate. The climatic characteristics favored the practice of agriculture from the earliest times of settlement and conditioned the life and habits of the people.

The typically rural environment helped preserve customs and traditions over the centuries.

But time does not forgive, and modernity is also reaching the countryside, causing changes in ancestral habits that deserve to be known and remembered. Here we will try to give a picture of some aspects of life in the lands of Ponta do Sol in the first quarter of the 20th century.

Production: Grupo de Folclore da Ponta do Sol

Coordination: António do Vale

Direction: Eduardo Costa – Produções Audiovisuais

Year: 1995

35 minutes

A Tradição do Espírito Santo na Ponta do Sol

Synopsis:

This documentary, developed by the Ponta do Sol Folklore Group, delves deeply into the spiritual and cultural richness of one of Madeira's most emblematic traditions: the Easter visits of the Holy Spirit. Through a sensitive and authentic lens, the work reveals the genuineness of the devotion experienced by the community, where faith, identity, and collective memory intertwine from generation to generation.

Throughout the narrative, the viewer is guided through the rituals that mark this unique period—from the symbolic visits that traverse doors and hearts, to the traditional songs sung with fervor and emotion, to the preparation and celebration of the great parish festival that culminates this spiritual cycle. Each gesture, each word, and each melody bear witness to a living heritage, preserved with dedication and pride.

More than a documentary record, this work is a tribute to the strength of community unity and the continuity of ancestral values ​​that withstand the test of time.

The Tradition of the Holy Spirit in Ponta do Sol thus affirms itself as a precious testimony of cultural identity, where faith and folklore merge to give life to a unique heritage deeply rooted in the soul of a people.

Production: Grupo de Folclore da Ponta do Sol

Coordination: António do Vale

Direction: Eduardo Costa – Produções Audiovisuais

Year: 2005

48 minutes

Crendices

Synopsis:

It is in a corner of Madeira Island, obscured and suspended in time, that we find the large Ruel family. Headed by Mauricio, an authoritarian patriarch who lives under the same roof with his mother Zulmira, his wife Rosária, and their four children, this house follows a domestic routine where a precarious combination of respect and fear prevails. Only Rafael opposes his father, and it is after a tumultuous argument that he abandons his home for years, until the day he receives a letter informing him that his father has fallen ill. Upon returning to his homeland, he finds it transfigured and irreparably immersed in a well of unusual beliefs and superstitions. Faith in popular myth proves to be the catalyst for a spiral of disorder that will consume the small community. Responsible for this 100% Madeiran production is the humor group 4Litro, which, between laughs and chills, portrays a vibrant local culture that resists oblivion and keeps the spark of self-reflection alive.

Production: 4Litro

Screenplay: 4Litro; Duarte Nunez

Directed by: 4Litro; Roberto Assis

Year: 2025

96 minutes

Casamentos por Procuração (A Aqui Acolá Documentary)

Synopsis:

Can a signed document replace presence at the altar? In Madeira in times past, many women said "yes" to an absent groom, setting sail for the ocean with little more than a photograph in their suitcase and a survival contract in hand.

This documentary gives voice to the women who married long-distance. Between the urgency of leaving and the fear of the unknown, we reveal the stories of those who risked their lives for a commitment made…

Production: Município da Ponta do Sol; Grupo de Folclore da Ponta do Sol

Coordination: Eduardo Costa; Adelina Calaça; Francisca Inácio

Direction: Eduardo Costa – Produções Audiovisuais

Year: 2026

54 minutes