documentary feature, concept and creation, 103 min., 2011-2014

Canon XF100, editing and finishing in Final Cut Pro

“Life on Terceira island. One day at a time.”

A season of touradas à corda [bullfights on the rope] on Terceira island. Interwoven stories of different island inhabitants. Are the touradas an exciting remedy against waiting, boredom, and repetition; or the most prominent symptom?

During the season, from May 1 until October 15, Terceira island, Azores, is dominated by traditional touradas à corda, bullfights on the rope. Tourada tells the personal stories of different island inhabitants during one cycle of their lives – from before the start of this season in Spring, until after the end of it in Fall.

The daily lives of these inhabitants are interwoven, as the season’s touradas progress. Their lives and activities both mirror and contrast at times. Their personal struggles and thoughts, and the irony of most of their situations, reflect on one another. Together they tell a universal tale of dealing with life’s repeating patterns.

We follow a modern day hermit that tries to get a steady job without really looking for it, and finding an answer to life’s questions and difficulties. A Flemish-Chinese shop owner strives for acceptance from the locals, but also longs for peace and quiet on an island of constant parties. An old fisherman comes to the port every day to go out fishing in his boat, but mostly has to wait for good weather. A woman works in the port in repetitive labor of preparing traditional fishing lines, just wanting to lead her life and be happy. A ranch owner couple tries to raise their bulls to perform well in the touradas, in the knowledge that the tradition is endangered by political pressure. A couple that exploit whale watching, chase the ocean for a whale sighting that ultimately is a matter of waiting. A tattoo artist deals with the isolation, repetition and boredom of the island, and finds repetition even in his trips to the other islands. And a party band that plays traditional festas and touradas, dream of a professional career on an island that has no real other opportunities for musicians. A local professor reflects on life on the island, traditions, and repetition. The touradas are ever-recurring exciting interludes that more and more become the routine of the film themselves.

Tourada is a film about waiting, boredom, and excitement. About repetition, and minor variation. About frustration, surrender, acceptance, and renewed resilience. In the end, Tourada is a film about how people find a way to deal with life, in all its beauty, hardship, and mundanity.