João Rui Guerra da Mata

In 2012, he directed AS THE FLAMES ROSE, his debut short film, awarded at Locarno Film Festival Short Film Competition. As an Art Director, he worked in several features and shorts, notably the ones directed by João Pedro Rodrigues, his life partner, whose films he also co-written. This collaboration lately evolved to co-direction, namely in the shorts CHINA, CHINA (2007) – 39th Directors’ Fortnight, Cannes - and the feature THE LAST TIME I SAW MACAO (2012) nominated at Locarno. He recently co-wrote on WILL-O’-THE-WISP (2022), directed by João Pedro Rodrigues and nominated for the Queer Palm at Cannes.

Read about João Rui Guerra da Mata at imdb.com

The Last Time I Saw Macao

A film by João Pedro Rodrigues & João Rui Guerra da Mata

2012 - France/Portugal - Drama

Thirty years later I'm on my way to Macao where I haven't been since I was a child. I got an e-mail, in Lisbon, from Candy, a friend I hadn't heard from in ages. She told me that she had been involved yet again with the wrong men and asked me to go to Macao where "strange and scary things" were happening. Tired, after a long flight, I'm approaching Macao aboard the jetfoil which will take me back to the happiest time in my life.