THE GARBAGE MAN – Laura Gonçalves (Portugal, 2022) 12′

‘Grand Prix for Best Short Film” & the “Audience Award” at Animafest Zagreb 2022; “Best Portuguese Short Film” and “Audience Award” at Monstra Festival de Animação de Lisboa 2022

On a hot August afternoon, the family gathered at the table remembers uncle Botão: the Colonial War, emigration to France, where he lived and worked thirty years as a garbage man. Memories of each are crossed to tell the story of a man who lived a hard life through humor and fantasy, like when he returned to Belmonte, in a van full of trash, turned into a real treasure.

Director – Laura Gonçalves

In 2009 finishes the course Art and Multimedia at Faculdade de Belas Artes in Lisbon and enters the animation world as a final art and animator in the studio Sardinha em Lata. In 2012 she directs her first animation short “Three Weeks in December”, completing her Animation MA at Arts University Bournemouth. In 2013 she moves to Porto, where she starts working at Bando à Parte as an animator and painter. In 2015 she co-directs the short film “Nossa Senhora da Apresentação” with Abi Feijó, Alice Guimarães and Daniela Duarte, produced by Curtas Metragens C.R.L. In 2016 she co-directs with Alexandra Ramires (Xá), the animation short “Drop by Drop”.