Douro, Faina Fluvial (Short 1931)

Douro, Faina Fluvial: Directed by Manoel de Oliveira. A documentary that looks at the people working in the river Douro, around the city of Porto.

“Manoel de Oliveirau0026#39;s first film is a briskly cut summary of a day in the working lives of riverside folk on the banks of the Douro River.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s an early signpost to later technique, notably his capturing and framing of aesthetically pleasing shots. This is one of the appeals of u0026#39;Dourou0026#39; – itu0026#39;s ravishing to look at – but itu0026#39;s also a valuable document of working practices, and it shows (a little self-consciously, it must be said) the arrival of the technology that would change the face of the river banks around the Ponte de D. Luís, in Porto.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOne false and unnecessary note is the introduction of a little fictional vignette of a story – a worker is u0026#39;trampledu0026#39; by oxen, to the great dismay of his sweetheart. But this doesnu0026#39;t take much away from a never-less-than-interesting little film.”