Tiago Guedes’ feature film, shot in Porto, is set to premiere at Cannes

Tiago Guedes’ new film, Aqui, has been selected for the Official Selection of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, which takes place from 12 to 23 May. The feature film, which was shot in Porto with the support of Filmaporto — film commission, will be screened in the Cannes Première section, one of the festival’s most prestigious sections, alongside the Official Competition.

The screening is scheduled for 18 May and will be attended by the director, the actors, producer Paulo Branco and writer J. M. Coetzee, whose work forms the basis of the film. Aqui adapts the acclaimed “Jesus Trilogy” by the South African Nobel Prize-winning author.

Filmed in Portugal and Spain, the film features an international cast led by Spanish actors Manolo Solo and Patricia López Arnaiz. The narrative centres on Simón, who takes responsibility for David, a child he meets during the journey to a place where everyone starts afresh without a past. Convinced he has found the right mother for the boy, Simón approaches Inés, and the three form an unlikely family unit. In a social context that mistrusts difference, David asserts himself through imagination and freedom, defying norms and transforming parenthood into an uncertain experience, where loving also means accepting what one does not understand.

The role of David is played by two young actors from Madrid, Alex Pelaez and Hugo Encuentra, who bring the character to life at different stages of his childhood.

Filmed mainly in Portugal, including in the Bouça neighbourhood of Porto, Aqui focuses on a strong visual dimension, blending real locations with reimagined settings.

Produced by Leopardo Filmes, in co-production with the French company Alfama Films, the film — shot entirely in Spanish — is set to premiere in Portuguese cinemas on 3 December.