California

A film by Nuno Baltazar

Portugal / Drama / 13:49 min / 2018


In the Tejo river estuary, a Chinese girl and her mother survive by catching clams, an activity illegal in the area.
The mother only speaks Mandarin and relies on her young daughter to translate everything for her.
Their life in Portugal, a country once presented as “The West Coast of Europe” in tourism campaigns,
is nothing close to the “American Dream”.


Festivals and Awards:

Leiria International Film Festival – Best Short Film | Córtex – International Short Film Festival | Shortcutz Figueiró dos Vinhos | Indie Visions Film Festival | Festival Internacional de Curtas Metragens de São Paulo | Caminhos do Cinema Português | Lucca Film Festival & Europa Cinema | Festival Primavera do Cine en Vigo | Shortcutz Ovar | Ischia Film Festival | One Shot Film Festival | Lille International Short Film Festival | Sound & Image Challenge International Festival | WOW Film Festival | Seoul International Film Festival | Kraljevski Filmski Festival | Kalajoki Film Fest – Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress (Monica Chen) | Split Film Festival | SHORTS MÉXICO Festival Internacional de Cortometrajes de México | Festival de Cinéma de la Ville de Québec | 33.º International Film Festival Braunschweig | I Mostra de Cinema Português | Guam International Film Festival – EUA | Marmaris International Short Film Festival | Festival Corti Di Mare | Cormoran Film Fest | Lost River Film Fest


Written and Directed by: Nuno Baltazar | Produced by: Nuno Baltazar, António Gonçalo | Cast: Monica Chen, Jani Zhao, Adriano Carvalho | Cinematography: José António Loureiro | Edited by: Nuno Baltazar | Sound: Tomé Palmeirim, Nuno Bento