Maria Esperança Pascoal

Maria Esperança Pascoal

Biography

Maria Esperança (Pocas) Pascoal is from Angola and was the first female cinematographer working for the Angolan television. Today she lives in Paris. After her studies at the Conservatoire National du Cinéma Français she worked as a photographer and made several documentaries and short films. One of them was Il y a toujours quelqu’un qui t’aime, which was shown and awarded at several festivals. Por aqui todo bem (All is well) about two young Angolan girls who end up as refugees without money in Lisbon is her first feature film and based on her own experiences: “With Angola at war, Lisbon appeared to us as a promise of freedom. We arrived with our hearts filled with hope. But as my mother prepared to join us, the government forbade Angolans to leave the country. At only 16 years of age, my sister and I were suddenly alone and helpless in Lisbon. Therefore, the film is based on my own story and my experiences back then. In this story it is my intent to portray a young generation fractured by war, parted from its origins and in danger of losing its identity due to exile.”
In June 2012 her film was awarded the prize for “Best Feature” at the International Film Festival in Los Angeles.

Filmography

Por Aqui Tudo Bem (2011): Direction, Screenplay