A deep dive into a multidisciplinary and nonconformist artist, a pioneer in Portuguese improvisational music, passionate on the practice of "fallible aesthetics" - in his own definition). We meet him performing in an abstract space and suspended time. Between performances we travel inside the labyrinth of his memories. “To Listen” is also a master’s testimony.

This film is born from the desire of sharing the master Carlos “Zingaro”, through my lenses. We meet him in action and listen to his story. He is distinguished for being a pioneer on experimentalism and his permanence on the arts scene for more then 50 years on a row. He’s an artist of risks and vertigo, who always lived from his art, with minimal compromising, searching for coherence, and, above all, searching for "a truth." The outcome of his choices is a lifetime of complete dedication, difficult sustainability, of never-ending research, of bursts of plenitude, and a sizeable immaterial heritage, as most of the music created by him, wasn't recorded on vinyl or tape. Living for the moment, in the moment. Playing that moment. The meetings and summoning… these are Carlos “Zíngaro's” vectors.

"To Listen" is Carlos "Zíngaro's" basic condition, as an improviser. It's also an increasingly required state towards a humanistic society.

Inês Oliveira was born in Lisbon, 1976. She studied Fine Arts (Ar.Co Lisbon) and Cinema (ESTC Lisbon) and attended an intensive course in Videoart at Gulbenkian Foundation with the teachers Chantal Akerman, Haroun Farocki, Jean Pierre Gorin. Her first film, O NOME E O NIM / NAMES AND NUMBERS (2003) won the awards for the Best Film at Curtas – Vila do Conde, Festival Premiers Plans, and Festival Nouveaux Cinema et Nouveaux Medias Montreal. Her feature films CINERAMA (2009) and BOBÔ (2013) were presented at several international film festivals, such as Toronto IFF, Stockholm IFF, Mostra Int. de Cinema de São Paulo, and were both commercially released in Portugal.

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Alexandre Oliveira studied production management at the Lisbon Theatre and Film School. He has worked in film production management and executive production with leading names in the Portuguese and European film industry: João César Monteiro, Manoel de Oliveira, Paulo Rocha and Werner Schroeter. He was a programmer at the Portuguese Cinematheque - Museum of Cinema with João Bénard da Costa. In 2001, he set up AR DE FILMES, a production company that promotes film and theatre projects. The company includes Companhia Teatro do Bairro and a 120-seater venue in Bairro Alto with a theatre, music and dance programme.It has produced over 20 plays in recent years.

In the last years, he has made over 10 films with João Botelho ranging from documentaries and feature films, and also produced Margarida Gil, André Marques e Ariel de Bigault films. He has also done important work in film distribution by creating a new circuit system to ensure that audiences get to see the films by projecting them in large municipal theatres. O FILME DO DESASSOSSEGO, which is based on a work by Fernando Pessoa, is one of the most viewed films in Portugal in the last 10 years with an average of over 200 spectators per session. OS MAIAS adapted from Eça de Queiroz made over 150.000 spectators in the first realease in Portugal.

In 2015, Alexandre Oliveira was distinguished by the Academy of Cultural Producers with the Natércia Campos Award “for his ability to put himself at the service of a significant diversity of creators, languages, artistic fields and promoters, defending the artistic project near the audiences.”

FILMOGRAPHY as Producer

2020 | O Bêbedo
(Feature Film)

Written and Directed by: André Marques

Production Ar de Filmes

(pre-production)

2019 | A Última Festa
(Feature Film)

 Written and Directed by Matheus Souza

Production - Coqueirão Pictures // Co-production - Ar de Filmes

(post-production)

2019 | Fantasmas do Império
(Documentary Feature Film)

 Written and Directed by Ariel de Bigault

(90’;doc)
(post-production)

2020 | O Ano da Morte de Ricardo Reis
(Feature Film and Mini Series

 Based on the Novel by José Saramago

Director: João Botelho
(in distribution, national première – 1st of October)

2018 | Mar (Longa-metragem)
(Feature Film)
Written by Margarida Gil e Rita Benis

Director - Margarida Gil

2017 | O que Chamas Pensar?
Director - Margarida Gil

 Ordered by Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian

2017 | A Peregrinação
Feature Film)

Based on the Novel by Fernão Mendes Pinto

Director - João Botelho

2015 | Nos Campos em Volta
(Documentary Short-Film)

Director - João Botelho

Co-Production - Museu Municipal de Arqueologia de Serpa

2015 | O Som da Prata
(Documentary Short-Film)

Director: João Botelho

Ordered by the Company Topázio

2014 | A Arte da Luz tem 20.000 anos
(Documentary Feature Film)

Director: João Botelho

2014 | Os Maias
(2 versions of Feature Film - 183’ e 133’; and Mini Series for TV - 220’)

Director - João Botelho

Financed by ICA, Câmara Municipal de Lisboa e Montepio)

2012 | Bravo Som dos Tambores
(Documentary Feature Film)

Director - João Botelho

Financed by Fundação Guimarães 2012, European Capital of Culture

2012 | La Valse
(Short-Film)

Director: João Botelho

Financed by ICA
Co-production - RTP and Companhia Nacional de Bailado

2012 | Anquanto la Lhéngua fur Cantada
(Documentary Feature Film)

Director - João Botelho

Financed by Direcção Regional de Cultura do Norte
Sold to RTP

2011 | Coração no Escuro
(Documentary Feature Film)

Director - Maria Joana Figueiredo

2010 | O Filme do Desassossego
(Feature Film)

Director: João Botelho

Financed by ICA, CML, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian; Co-Production RTP

2010 | Oh Lisboa, Meu Lar!
(Documentary Short-Film)

Director - João Botelho

Financed by Câmara Municipal de Lisboa – Sold to RTP

2009 | Para que este mundo não acabe!
(Documentary Feature Film)

Director - João Botelho

Financed by ICA, Município de Montalegre e Município de Boticas; Co-Production RTP

2007 | A Terra antes do Céu
(Documentary Feature Film)

Director - João Botelho

Financed by Direcção Regional de Cultura do Norte Sold to RTP

2007 | A Baleia Branca – uma ideia de Deus
(Documentary Feature Film)

Director - João Botelho

Sold to RTP

2005 | Nunca estou onde pensas que estou
(Short-Film)

Director - Jorge Cramez

Financed by ICA
Co-Production - RTP

FILMOGRAPHY as Production Manager

2003 | A Mulher que Acreditava ser Presidente dos E.U.A.
Director - João Botelho

Production -a Madragoa Filmes

2007 | Mistério da Estrada de Sintra
Director - Jorge Paixão da Costa
Production - Filmes de Fundo

2007 | Nome de Código: Sintra
Director: Jorge Paixão da Costa

Production of the Tv Series: Filmes de Fundo to RTP

2003 | Quaresma
Director: José Alvaro Morais

Production Madragoa Filmes

2002 | Delfim
Director - Fernando Lopes

Production - Madragoa Filmes

2002 | Deux
Director: Werner Schroeter

Production Madragoa Filmes

2001 | Hora do Lobo
Director: José Nascimento

Production Madragoa Filmess

2001 | Água e Sal
Director- Teresa Villaverde

Production Madragoa Filmess

2000 | Palavra e Utopia
Director - Manoel de Oliveira

Production Madragoa Filmes

2000 | Branca de Neve
Director: João César Monteiro

Production Madragoa Filmesmes