Ricardo Leite’s new film plays tribute to Aurélio Paz dos Reis and Aurélia de Souza

Áureos (Golden), the new film by Ricardo Leite and one of the projects supported by the Filmaporto Neves Grant, brings together two key figures in the city’s history: Aurélio Paz dos Reis and Aurélia de Souza. The work pays homage to these pioneering friends and to the passions they shared: cinema, photography, painting, and botany. 

A pioneer of cinema in Portugal, Aurélio Paz dos Reis filmed A Saída do Pessoal Operário da Fábrica Confiança (Workers Leaving the Confiança Factory)  in 1896, inspired by the Lumière brothers’ first film. In addition to being a filmmaker, he was an amateur photographer and horticulturist, owner of the Flora Portuense shop on Avenida dos Aliados. Aurélia de Souza distinguished herself in painting and as a figure of female emancipation, being one of the first Portuguese female painters at a time when artistic practice was largely reserved for men.

“I have always been a great admirer of Aurélio and Aurélia, but it was only a few years ago that I discovered that, beyond being neighbours, they maintained a friendship,” explains Ricardo Leite. “Some claim that Aurélio was one of the main influences behind Aurélia’s fascination with photography.” Their connection also extended to a shared passion for flowers, a recurring theme in Aurélia’s paintings and a central aspect of Paz dos Reis’ professional life.

The names of the two artists also serve as a symbolic element in this work. Both derive from the Latin Aurelius, associated with aureus, meaning “golden” or “of gold”. “In alchemy, gold symbolises perfection, purification, and spiritual illumination. In the film, the golden element unites these two figures and pays tribute to two of my greatest artistic references from Porto, Portugal, and the world,” emphasises the director.

Combining historical recreation, fictionalised episodes, and an experimental approach, Áureos (Golden) was shot on 35mm film, in the manner of Aurélio Paz dos Reis’ works. The shoot made use of a camera approximately seventy years old, belonging to Sérgio Fernandes from Porto, a central figure in the teaching and history of Portuguese cinema, which was also used in Chico Fininho (1981). 16mm negatives were also employed, developed using plant-based biodegradable processes, transforming the technique into an expressive element of the film’s own visual language. This choice evokes the connection between cinema and botany, aligning with the environmental concerns that run through Ricardo Leite’s filmmaking practice, centred on plant-based biodegradable processes.

The film was shot in various historic locations in the city of Porto, such as Bonfim, Miragaia, Castelo do Queijo beach, Parque da Cidade, and along routes on the Douro River, recreating environments associated with the former homes and lives of the artists.

Jules* Elting plays Aurélia de Souza, while Ricardo Leite assumes the role of Aurélio Paz dos Reis. Áureos (Golden) is produced by Catarina de Sousa (Foi Bonita a Festa), with a team that also includes Jorge Quintela (director of photography), Sofia Pereira and Daniel Machado (production design), Pedro Ferreira (make-up and wardrobe), Juliana Julieta (camera assistant), and Tomás Casaux and António Pinheiro (lighting).