Synopsis:
On the same night that a dismembered and decapitated body is found in the city streets, Maria José wakes up startled by the absence of her mother. The authorities try to find the author of this heinous crime, but soon they will face unexpected circumstances. With a Hitchcockian touch, this psychological horror film, with both gore and absurd humor, is inspired by a true story that horrified Portugal in the mid-nineteenth century.
Starring: Eunice Correia, André Gago, and José Neto
Director/Producer: Chico Noras
Written by: Chico Noras, Miguel Raimundo, and Timóteo de Azevedo
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
The human mind is the dark forest we all fear the most. Consciousness is the tip of the iceberg, which hides a underworld with life of its own.
MARIA JOSÉ MARIA explores this ancient conflict that occurs within the mind, through a piece of psychological terror, soaked in expressionistic gore and with hints of black humor.
With this loose adaptation of Maria José’s true story, that shocked the country in 1842, because of the goriness of her mother’s murder, we intend to explore the post-traumatic behavior of our main character and the psychosis that led to the crime. The fragility of her ego, before the ferocity of the shadow, takes over her being.
This is the core message: the power of the unconscious is ubiquitous.
Project Type: Short
Genres: Horror, Black Comedy, Historical
Runtime: 20 min 27 sec
Completion Date: 2023
Country of Origin: Portugal
Shooting Location: Santarém, Portugal
Language: Portuguese
Shooting Format: Digital
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Film Color: B&W
Internacional Premiere: 28 july, 2023 Swindon Independent Film Festival
Portuguese Premiere: September, 2023 MOTELX
