Saramago in Lisbon and Hollywood
When Portuguese writer Jose Saramago won the Nobel Prize, his name became known around the world and his works were translated into several languages. Then Hollywood came calling for adaptations of his novels for the big screen, but Saramago always refused to provide the rights for that. However, someone must have made a good argument to convince him to turn his best-selling “Blindness” into a major feature film, and after opening the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, it will now premiere worldwide in October. It will start with a limited release in the United States on October 3rd, telling the story of a society in an unnamed country and city suddenly struck by an epidemic of blindness. It stars Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo, who bring to life a tale about the collapse of society due to the shocking fragility of our social institutions, or of humankind in general. For the trailer and complete information about the film, see its official website: www.blindness-themovie.com
Lisbon will also have a new Saramago attraction soon with the opening of the Saramago Foundation inside the landmark Casa dos Bicos. That 16th century palace will be home to the author’s library and serve as host of a number of literary events, which GoLisbon.com will obviously tell you about when they happen. In the meantime, if you’ll be in Lisbon before the opening, you can still check out the curious façade of the building, with its hundreds of spikes.
