Maria Ribeiro made the excellent documentary Domingos de Oliveira deserved. It is not linear, not chronological. It is passionate, charming, funny, authentic, multiple, clever, with quite good lines, musical, intense, absent of final explanations or dogma, amusing, moving. Therefore, Maria Ribeiro succeeded in producing the documentary that represents the best possible Domingos. All those traits are his. Footage of several films and plays by him, his smart and poetic thoughts and phrases, fragments of his always frenzied life, celebrations with lots of talented friends, all that compose the mosaic who is Domingos de Oliveira. He said he is not one of the greatest, but his work has beauty and is dignified. That is true. He is more important than critic, than a perfect cinematography, than an expensive set. He has the internal bright (besides intelligence) few filmmakers have, even among the best. That is not a coincidence that so many skillful artists loved him and were always available despite the low budget. Fortunately, he still had ten years more in his life afterwards, making more films, including Magnificent Eight. We are fortunate that he learned freedom with Godard.
