The Last Dive

O Último Mergulho (The Last Dive)
by João César Monteiro
1992 | Portugal | Restored digital copy | 1h 28m

One night, young Samuel gazes out at the waters of the Tagus from a deserted quay. He is approached by Eloi, an old retired sailor, who, realising the young man’s suicidal intentions, manages to stop him from jumping into the water and takes him for a walk around the city. Lisbon is in the midst of the June festivities and, in a seedy nightclub, they meet Esperança, a mute prostitute who is Eloi’s daughter, and two other ‘colleagues of the trade’, Rosa Bianca and Ivone. The three form a curious friendship and spend two long nights wandering the streets of Lisbon.

Produced by Paulo Branco, ‘O Último Mergulho’ (The Last Dive) is one of the episodes of the television series ‘Os Quatro Elementos’ (The Four Elements), in which RTP participated as a producer. Drawing on the element of “water”, João César Monteiro directed this delightful and biting story in 1992 about an unexpected friendship between a suicidal young man, an old sailor and three prostitutes.

with Fabienne Babe, Canto e Castro, Francesca Prandi, Rita Blanco