Ala-Arriba! (1942)

Ala-Arriba! is a 1942 Portuguese romantic docufiction set in Póvoa de Varzim, a traditional Portuguese fishing town.

Dealing with ethnographic matters, it may be considered as an ethnofiction. The film was directed by Leitão de Barros, and stars real fishermen as themselves in order to give a realistic view over traditions and social behaviours of the community. Focusing the cultural context, it continuously shifts from documentary to drama, by means of a fictional narrative. Contemporary to Robert Flaherty, Barros is with him one of the first filmmakers to explore docufiction and ethnofiction as forms of dramatic narrative.

It premiered at São Luis Theatre in Lisbon.

Synopsis

It focuses on maritime tragedy of the town and a forbidden love between Julha (Elsa Bela-Flor) and João Moço (Domingos Gonçalves), from different fisher castes, in a community where mixed-caste marriages were not allowed and dating without parent's assent was seen as a disgrace to the family, not only in respect to women, but also men.