Movies

Portuguese film director Miguel Gonçalves: Covid-19 is a global tragicomedy

Lisbon (Portugal), May 10 (EFE).- The coronavirus "is the tragicomedy that humanity lacked," Portuguese film director Miguel Gonçalves said in an interview with EFE.SOUNDBITES OF MIGUEL GONÇALVES MENDES, FILM DIRECTOR. 1. "In the case of Portugal, I don't know if it would be a very interesting film, because I think that in the end, the people behaved really well. I think people behaved well, as much as they could, the Portuguese learned quickly to deal with this, they were respectful. I think it could have been just as bad, but even worse than it was... Now imagine the case of India, where the policemen, wearing masks, were beating people up and forcing them to do push-ups, it's ridiculous. Or the case of Brazil, where the president says it is a flu of nothing and he coughs up everyone, and there is a political crisis instead of the virus crisis. Or Trump. How could anyone imagine that in the western world a political leader was going to advise people to inject bleach? This is surreal. It is so surreal that it is not believed to be real. So I think yes, it would be a tragicomedy. The virus is the tragicomedy that humanity lacked."2. "I have a little trouble thinking of a new normal. Because I think it will take us another year to understand what is going to happen."3. "There are two different things. One is the question of unnecessary consumption, which is a question that humanity had to ask itself, in my opinion, a long time ago. Why do we all have to have a new iPhone every month, why do we have to have t-shirts that last two months or a season. In terms of ecological footprint, garbage, that is criminal. Moreover, they are is forms of economic exploitation and exploitation (of vulnerable people) that I hope will effectively end."4. "But the truth is that the tourist flats were pure speculation and that they destroyed the lives of half of the Portuguese."