8th LGLFF (2004) – Opening Text

I was living in Portugal for a long time, when talking to my mother during my last journey to Brazil, I had the feeling of experiencing one of those moments in life when we discover something which we always knew was there as a clear and logic concept, but only then it became so clearly evident.

My mother told me: “Son, I no longer allow myself to go to bed at night thinking and worrying about you, about how you were and whom you were with… and this doesn’t mean that I love you less, it’s because I have the conscience that I made you for the world and not exclusively for myself. If you are far away it’s because that was your option and I believe that you are happy with your choices, and that you are living your life and your dreams…and my motherly love can’t be a selfish feeling of wanting you next to me.”

No one can ever evaluate the feeling of freedom and the sureness of being loved by hearing those words as I did, unless they have experienced a similar moment. This fragment of my life was so important that I couldn’t help following the example and giving my own “children” the legs they need to walk freely towards their future and their destiny. I feel the LGLFL as this “son” I’m referring to; I gave birth to it in 1997 and since then I have been there in every moment, good or bad.

For eight years the Festival was part of my life. I had to abdicate of essential things, so that the Festival could grow, and so it did. It grew as big as it could in a favourable environment, even if in the present day, and since 2002, it only barely survives with some dignity in a social setting blinded by ignorance and homophobia, a hypocrite society deluded by a palatine posture, shaped by our political leaders since then.

I feel now that my mission is accomplished and that I pass on the Festival to the competent hands of its future director, João Ferreira, and those of the new direction of the cultural association that makes it happen. We share the same dream, the same goals, the same perseverance, the same essence… the style will certainly change.

It always was a main goal of this Festival to correspond to the expectations of the city of Lisbon, and it was always for this city that the Festival happened, bringing people and movies that both cinema history, and the LGBT movement, will acknowledge some day. I feel the time has come that the city of Lisbon, in honour of its Festival, takes care of it.

I thank all those who support this Festival, be them on a recent discovery, be them on a long time relationship with us, and to all its faithful followers. The Festival is for them.

Have fun always!

Celso Júnior

LGLFF Director

One year after wrote this text you can see me, here once more, with João Ferreira, the new Lisbon Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Director