With what voice?
Director Nicholas Oulman
Countries
Duration 108 min
Synopsis
Com Que Voz Com Que Voz follows the life of Alain Oulman, a Renaissance Man; composer, literary editor, theater director, and political figure. Oulman was born in Lisbon, 1928. He was raised in a Jewish French family against the dramatic backdrop of World War Two. After a brief time spent in New York City, he returned to Lisbon and began a life long collaboration with Amalia Rodrigues, the world renown fado singer. In addition to providing Amalia with some of her greatest music, he revolutionized the fado form. Oulman composed music using the Portuguese poet’s words. Poets such as: Camoes, Pedro Homen de Mello, Manuel Alegre and Alexandre O’Neil were brought to the people for the first time. This was a defiant move on Oulman’s part when one considers that some of these poets were outlawed under the fascist regime of Salazar. After directing several successful plays, Oulman was arrested by the Pide, the Portuguese secret police, for his leftist leanings. Jailed, he was later deported to Paris. In Paris, he began his literary career as an editor at Calmann-Levy, a family owned publishing company. He worked with such luminary writers as: Amos Oz, Patricia Highsmith, and Catherine Clement. Alain Oulman died in 1990, at the age of 62.
Com Que Voz Com Que Voz follows the life of Alain Oulman, a Renaissance Man; composer, literary editor, theater director, and political figure. Oulman was born in Lisbon, 1928. He was raised in a Jewish French family against the dramatic backdrop of World War Two. After a brief time spent in New York City, he returned to Lisbon and began a life long collaboration with Amalia Rodrigues, the world renown fado singer. In addition to providing Amalia with some of her greatest music, he revolutionized the fado form. Oulman composed music using the Portuguese poet’s words. Poets such as: Camoes, Pedro Homen de Mello, Manuel Alegre and Alexandre O’Neil were brought to the people for the first time. This was a defiant move on Oulman’s part when one considers that some of these poets were outlawed under the fascist regime of Salazar. After directing several successful plays, Oulman was arrested by the Pide, the Portuguese secret police, for his leftist leanings. Jailed, he was later deported to Paris. In Paris, he began his literary career as an editor at Calmann-Levy, a family owned publishing company. He worked with such luminary writers as: Amos Oz, Patricia Highsmith, and Catherine Clement. Alain Oulman died in 1990, at the age of 62.