Since the beginning of the human colonization in Corvo until the end of the 20th century, this island lived secluded and totally self-dependent. A closed agricultural community with ancestral rituals and codes but open to the sea. Historical are the stories about their relationships, economical and social, with the sailors and the pirates that sailed around the coast of the island. The state of Portugal was distant, the world for Corvo was the international sea trade and Corvo was in the center of that trade.

Gonçalo Tocha was able to capture the uniqueness of life in Corvo and project it throughout Europe and the United States in his

Feature Documentary “It’s the Earth Not the Moon”.

The 55th. San Francisco International Film Festival is held each spring for 15 days. The International is an extraordinary showcase of cinematic discovery and innovation in one of the country’s most beautiful cities, featuring 200 films, live events and 14 juried awards. The event included upwards of 100 participating filmmaker guests and diverse and engaged audiences with more than 70,000 people in attendance.

The winners were announced at the Golden Gate Awards Ceremony and the awards presented by  the San Francisco Film Society. The documentary “It’s the Earth Not the Moon”, of filmmaker Gonçalo Tocha (Portugal 2011) was the winner in the Documentary Feature category. We congratulate Gonçalo and his team for a job well done!  

Caldeira do Corvo

Extracts from San Francisco’s Film Society Press Release; Edited by PHPC’s blogging staff

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