As Meninas Exemplares, the latest film by João Botelho, adapts the trilogy by Countess of Ségur about Sofia, Madalena, and Camila. Through misadventures, punishments, and discoveries, these characters navigate the social, religious, and political power games that shape childhood. Desire and repression, loss and inevitable growth unfold in a film that celebrates both the beauty and the cruelty of education. Featuring performances by Victoria Guerra, Crista Alfaiate, Rita Blanco, Margarida Marinho, Ana Padrão, and Leonor Silveira, the film pays tribute to the painting work of Paula Rego and the transformative power of imagination. The screening is accompanied by an exhibition that interprets Paula Rego’s visual work through the words of Ségur and Botelho.

Screening presented by João Botelho.