In 2022, the Digitalization and Restoration Project of the Portuguese Cinematheque Archive (PRR) was launched, involving around 1,000 films originally produced on analog film stock. The main goal of this initiative is the preservation of the national film archive and promoting decentralization and availability of these films. The project aims to facilitate access to Portuguese cinema for research, education, and commercial exhibitions, contributing to Portuguese cinematographic culture.
A large part of the color grading restoration work is being carried out at IrmaLucia Visual Effects, where I have been working since the start of the project as a Color Grader. Over these three years, I have gained in-depth knowledge about the evolution of the visual styles in
Portuguese cinema - from the types of film stock and formats used, to editing trends, lighting styles, lens choices, and color treatment characteristic of each period. This direct contact with these films also allowed me to understand the unique way in which Portuguese cinema reflected its time.
Today I have specialized training in Color Grading and Cinema Post-Production, having worked with one of the most experienced colorists in Portugal, Gonçalo Ferreira. I have already worked on over 40 films as a Color Grader, contributing to the restoration of iconic works of Portuguese Cinema. As an example of my work on this topic, I present a selection of stills from “Nós” a film by Cláudia Tomaz’s film (2003), recently digitized and restored in 2025.