MAL

Portugal, 1999, 85 minute, Colour.
Pauline Cadell, Rui Morrison, Alexandre Pinto.
Directed by Alberto Seixas Santos.

Mal is a short film with quite a number of plots, initially seemingly diverse, that then begin to focus on a central character. The writer-director has chosen to dramatise some of the social evils of the later 20th century: drugs, homelessness, poverty, migrants, paedophilia, sexual fidelity and infidelity. However, he suddenly brings everything to an end with the end of the world.

The film is, therefore, apocalyptic in its presentation of the coming of the end of the world as well as its dramatically unexpected ending. Perhaps there are too many themes for 85 minutes. (The film is an Irish-Spanish? -Brazilian -Portuguese co-production and there are characters representing the main countries. Pauline Cadell, an Irish actress, is the central character which brings in themes of terrorism and Northern Ireland.)

1.An international co-production? European perspective?

2.The millennium themes, the evils of the 20th century, the role of the presence an absence of God, religion, sin, the end of the world? The signs for the end of the world - but its dramatically sudden coming?

3.The Lisbon locations, the various areas of the city, the coast?

4.The structure of the film: the cross-section of people, the introduction to each of them, making the dramatic intersections, centring on Cathy, the evil and the consequences on each character, the hurt, salvation or not? Sudden death?

5.The end of the world and Cathy's suffering from AIDS, being in the car, praying the Hail Mary, the people running, the explosion? The apocalypse?

6.The opening with the old man and the photo of his granddaughter, the granddaughter interpreted as an angel sign of the coming apocalypse? People self-centred and passing him by, the children tormenting him and setting fire to the photo? His being found sleeping in the streets? The little girl playing on the hill, her toys, the mirror, begging for the musician, going into the jeweller's shop, the jeweller taking her to the apartment and the potential abuse, his killing himself?

7.Cathy as the central character, her purse being snatched, her reaction to Daniel and the denunciation of the man who stopped him, her forgiving him? Giving him her card? Her life, Ireland, 20 years married to Pedro, middle age? The party and the stories, the friends, her love for Pedro? His gifts? Her work for the refugees? The love of her friends? Going to the doctor, finding that she was suffering from AIDS, Pedro as the reason? The confrontation with him, her illness? Sean and his visit and the memories of Ireland, Pedro's antagonism towards terrorists? Going to the beach, telling the truth? Daniel coming and Pedro's disapproval? Daniel and the cold turkey? Her own illness? Taking Pedro's keys? The drinking, the discussions about God, Daniel abandoning her? The scene in the bedroom - a sexual liaison or not? Going in the car, lack of control, praying the Hail Mary, her death?

8.Pedro, his roving eye, meeting the girl in the restaurant, the sexual encounters, contracting AIDS, his lies to his wife, his giving her the illness? His inability to promise to be faithful?

9.Daniel and the robbery, his Brazilian friend, the drugs, stealing from the tills, smashing the furniture and windows, his mother and robbing her? His being able to play in the band, not? The shooting of the man? Going to Cathy, going cold turkey, relating to her, giving back the keys and abandoning her?

10.Daniel's mother, her weeping on the bus, the Jesus lady looking after her, taking her to the fundamentalist rallies? The theology of sin and redemption?

11.The jeweller and his sister, their antagonism, his friendship with people, the little girl, sex abuse and his suicide?

12.Cathy's friends, their lifestyle, ringing her to come to the party?

13.The film and an exploration of the 20th century, evil in the world, social evil, personal evil? What is life? The end of the world?