O Convento
Encyclopedia
The Convent is a 1995 film by Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira
, starring Catherine Deneuve
and John Malkovich
and based on the novel As Terras Do Risco by Agustina Bessa-Luís
. It was entered into the 1995 Cannes Film Festival
.
from the U.S.A, who arrives with his wife, Helene, at a Portuguese convent
where he expects to find the documents needed to prove his theory: Shakespeare was born in Spain
, not in England
, and was Jewish. The main characters arrive at the convent where they are greeted by an enigmatic stranger who refers to himself as Baltar
; he is the keeper of the convent. Other characters include a fisherman, the beautiful bookkeeper who is attracted to Dr. Padovic's work, and an elderly man who goes by the name of Balthazar
.
Manoel de Oliveira
Manoel Cândido Pinto de Oliveira, GCSE is a Portuguese film director born in Cedofeita, Porto. He began working on films in the late 1920s, but did not receive international recognition until the early 1970s. Since the late 1980s he has been one of the most prolific working film directors and...
, starring Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve is a French actress. She gained recognition for her portrayal of aloof and mysterious beauties in films such as Repulsion and Belle de jour . Deneuve was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1993 for her performance in Indochine; she also won César Awards for that...
and John Malkovich
John Malkovich
John Gavin Malkovich is an American actor, producer, director and fashion designer with his label Technobohemian. Over the last 25 years of his career, Malkovich has appeared in more than 70 motion pictures. For his roles in Places in the Heart and In the Line of Fire, he received Academy Award...
and based on the novel As Terras Do Risco by Agustina Bessa-Luís
Agustina Bessa-Luís
Agustina Bessa-Luís, GOSE is a Portuguese writer.From 1986 and 1987, she was Director of the daily O Primeiro de Janeiro . From 1990 to 1993, she was director of the Teatro Nacional D...
. It was entered into the 1995 Cannes Film Festival
1995 Cannes Film Festival
-Jury:*Jeanne Moreau *Gianni Amelio *Jean-Claude Brialy *Nadine Gordimer *Gaston Kabore *Michele-Ray Gavras *Emilio Garcia Riera *Philippe Rousselot *John Waters...
.
Plot
The journey of Michael Padovic, a professorProfessor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
from the U.S.A, who arrives with his wife, Helene, at a Portuguese convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
where he expects to find the documents needed to prove his theory: Shakespeare was born in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, not in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and was Jewish. The main characters arrive at the convent where they are greeted by an enigmatic stranger who refers to himself as Baltar
Baltar
Baltar is a fictional character in the Battlestar Galactica universe who betrays the human race, through willing treachery in the original 1978 series, and as the inadvertent result of arrogance and self-interest in the 2003 miniseries and following TV series.-Original continuity:In the original...
; he is the keeper of the convent. Other characters include a fisherman, the beautiful bookkeeper who is attracted to Dr. Padovic's work, and an elderly man who goes by the name of Balthazar
Balthazar
Balthazar may refer to:- Traditional and religious uses :* A name commonly attributed to one of the Biblical Magi * An alternate form of the Babylonian king Belshazzar, mentioned in the Book of Daniel...
.
Cast
- Catherine DeneuveCatherine DeneuveCatherine Deneuve is a French actress. She gained recognition for her portrayal of aloof and mysterious beauties in films such as Repulsion and Belle de jour . Deneuve was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1993 for her performance in Indochine; she also won César Awards for that...
as Hélène - John MalkovichJohn MalkovichJohn Gavin Malkovich is an American actor, producer, director and fashion designer with his label Technobohemian. Over the last 25 years of his career, Malkovich has appeared in more than 70 motion pictures. For his roles in Places in the Heart and In the Line of Fire, he received Academy Award...
as Michael Padovic - Luís Miguel Cintra as Baltar
- Leonor Silveira as Piedade
- Duarte de Almeida as Baltazar
- Heloísa Miranda as Berta
- Gilberto Gonçalves as Fisherman