Tribute to Isabel Ruth

Opening Session of the 10th Edition of Planos — Tomar International Short Film Festival

Planos dedicates the opening session of its 10th edition to Isabel Ruth, an actress born in Tomar and one of the most prominent figures in Portuguese cinema. This tribute celebrates a unique artistic career, marked by freedom, restlessness and a screen presence that has spanned generations of filmmakers and audiences.

Initially trained in dance, Isabel Ruth found in cinema a powerful means of expression, becoming one of the most distinctive faces of Portuguese New Cinema. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has worked with some of Portugal’s and the world’s most important filmmakers, including Paulo Rocha, Manoel de Oliveira and Pier Paolo Pasolini, building a filmography of remarkable diversity and artistic significance.

The choice of Isabel Ruth for this tribute also holds special meaning for Tomar. Recognising her career means celebrating a figure born in the municipality who has secured a unique place in Portuguese cultural history, projecting her talent far beyond national borders.

The session features Os Verdes Anos (1963), Paulo Rocha’s first feature film and one of the founding works of Portuguese New Cinema. Starring Isabel Ruth as Ilda, alongside Rui Gomes, the film follows the encounter between two young people in 1960s Lisbon, portraying a city in transformation, shaped by social tensions, expectations and dreams of a different life. Through the intimacy of its characters and the power of its imagery, the film broke with established conventions and opened up new paths for Portuguese cinema.

More than six decades after its premiere, Os Verdes Anos remains an essential reference, not only for its historical significance but also for its modernity and its enduring ability to speak to the present. The screening will feature a digitised and restored print by the Cinemateca Portuguesa – Museu do Cinema.

By opening its 10th edition with this tribute, Planos reaffirms its connection to Portuguese film heritage and its commitment to bringing together the memory, present and future of cinema. A tribute to Isabel Ruth, to her career and to the indelible mark she has left — and continues to leave — on Portuguese culture.