On April 11, the miniseries “Women, Arms” debut on TVI, created and written by the enormous Filipa Martins. A story inspired by the real stories of so many anonymous women. The actresses Silvia Chiola, Victoria Guerra, Madalena Almeida and Sara Carinhas are the great protagonists.
By Nuno Alexandre *
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Almost 51 years after the April revolution, this miniseries brings us to the dark times of dictatorship and the colonial war and gives us to meet various female profiles of different origins that venture into the treated route of emancipation, social struggle and political.
An immense pain, disgust and suffering have reached many Portuguese families during the colonial war. The worst he could happen was a woman to receive the news that his son, his brother, his friend, his boyfriend or husband went to the troops and later would go to Africa. The colonial war was, like all wars, an unfair and cruel war. Portugal lived under a fascist regime that was thirsty for power and intended to bring his colonialist, retired, hatred and destruction project. Women have assumed a key role right now, especially in the contestation of the totalitarian regime and the conservative and conservative patriarchal system that summarized them to the role of “domestic fairies” and who have systematically downgraded, exploited, unleashed and humiliated. Many of them were the target of repression, they were persecuted, detained and tortured by pide and even silenced.
Silvia Chiola plays Adília, a young woman with a difficult and practically illiterate life and who lives a love story with Armando (Rodrigo Tomás), a young man who eventually embarks on the war abroad. Victoria Guerra plays Isabel, a high -society woman who lives in deep anguish and suffering since she lost her husband in Africa. The machine and hateful character of the regime looks very much in the skin, as it does not have access to your bank account and cannot even sign a check. Enter the labor market again and is in the factory that you know your comrades of weapons and fights. Madalena Almeida plays Deolinda, a dreamy woman, ready to go to the fight and face everything and everyone, even the mother (Silvia Filipe). Sara Carinhas plays Lourdes, a politicized and unionized woman who encourages colleagues to fight war, fascism, equality of rights and freedom. In the history of these four women it is the story of thousands of Portuguese. In the miniseries it is the story of many anonymous women who have crossed exactly the same.
We are days to celebrate the 51st anniversary of the April Revolution which overturned the dictatorship and gave us freedom and democracy. By the way, the series ends emotionally with April 25. After all these years, the struggle is not over and we cannot lower our arms. Over the past five decades of democracy, Portugal has changed a lot. We have been able to make great social, political and cultural transformations. With April 25, the war ended. The decolonization and the independence process of the African territories were long and complex, but the end of the war and the arrival of freedom were true and very important to be taken from the page.
However, the colonial war continues to mark the life of the various peoples. There are public cases of depression, anxiety and disability that have reached a great majority of former fighters. The theme was a taboo for decades inside the armed forces and in the country. But also much of racism and hatred that are visible today in Portuguese society have links with the colonial past. Portuguese colonialism remains a taboo. In some schools, the colonial past is still faced as something romantic, gold and often the massacres and horrors are swept under the carpet. It is necessary to break with this approach once and for all. But returning to great social transformations, women won when they no longer have to ask the husband to authorize life, travel or work. When, during and after the revolution, they arrived on the street with a high punch and with Curty’s head. The struggle for IVG’s decriminalization was a very long struggle. The clandestine abortion was the third largest cause of maternal death in Portugal.
There have been cases in which women were reported by their own boyfriends or husbands and then were humiliated in the classrooms. As I said, this was a long and hard struggle. He led to the union of huge women who shouted “the crime is in the law! The criminals are!” This result arrived years later in 2007 and through a second referendum. On April 25 he involved gender equality promises. Women were free to make their choices and challenge the rules. They began to occupy positions and functions that have long been denied to them, they have become mainly in universities and had sexual and reproductive rights that gave them the power to decide their lives.
But we are not wrong, because there is still a lot of way of doing it and it must be done! As for equality, this is still a distant reality. Women continue to earn less than men for the same work, are less represented in the assembly of the Republic, in the administrations of large companies and also in the professions related to science and technology.
In addition, more hours work, especially in families and family care, and maternity issues remain the most compromises in employment. Another problem that affects women in this country is domestic violence, crime that kills more in Portugal. We continue to fail a lot! Justice continues to fail a lot! We have a lot of work in advance!
Courageous actresses! Brava Filipa Martins! The historic good Irene Pimentel, who is a great reference for me, who was responsible for the historical advice of this project! The miniseries must be seen by everyone, especially for young people, because all this is not a distant past. It is also very recent! For those who have not seen, it is available on TVI Player. It is a well -built series and so true with a fabulous and luxury cast! He ends with the following message: “The rights conquered are not permanent, the threat to these rights is real and the setback is a clear possibility”. Let’s not download our arms! The struggle continues! Women, weapons!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrycdrlw9ze
* Student of History in Fluc.
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