THE FORTUNATE ONES
a film by Jeanne Waltz

The Fortunate Ones
A film by Jeanne Waltz
- 2023
- Portugal, Switzerland
- 93 minutes
- VO portuguese
Algarve, 1992. Milene’s life is disrupted when her very protective grandmother dies. Left alone, she goes to the abandoned factory which made her grandmother’s fortune. There she meets the Mata family from Cape Verde.
When Milene’s relatives return from their holidays, they want to manage her life. But Milene’s life gets out of hand. Little by little, Milene gets closer to Antonino Mata. For him it’s complicated: falling in love with the owners’ daughter is not a good idea. But Milene is so bright that he finally gives in.
The family, upset, decides to react.
The Fortunate Ones
Un film de Jeanne Waltz
- 2023
- Portugal, Suisse
- 93 minutes
- VO portugais
Algarve, 1992. La vie de Milene est chamboulée lorsque que sa très protectrice grand-mère décède. Restée seule, elle se rend à l’usine désaffectée qui avait fait la fortune de son aïeule. Elle y rencontre les Mata, une famille capverdienne.
Quand les proches de Milene rentrent de vacances, ils veulent prendre sa vie en main. Mais celle-ci leur échappe. Petit à petit, Milene s’approche d’Antonino Mata. Pour lui, c’est compliqué : tomber amoureux de la fille des propriétaires n’est pas une bonne idée. Mais Milene est si lumineuse qu’il finit par se rendre.
La famille, contrariée, décide de réagir.

FESTIVALS ( selection )
World Premiere
Mill Valley Film Festival
Locarno International Film Festival, Sevilla European Film Festival, Solothurner Filmtage
CAST & CREW
With
Rita Cabaço
Milton Lopes
Maria Fortes
Beatriz Batarda
Isabel Muñoz Cardoso
Carla Maciel
Rúben Garcia
João Lagarto
Romeu Runa
Cleo Diára
Cucha Carvalheiro
Severa Reis
Elísio Pereira
Ana Zanatti
Dino D’Santiago
Written and directed by
Jeanne Waltz
Based on the novel by
Lídia Jorge
Director of photography
João Pedro Plácido aip
Editing
Myriam Rachmuth
Sound engineer
Henri Maïkoff
Sound editing
Benjamin Benoit
Mix
Denis Séchaud
1st assistant director
Rui Macedo
Script supervisor
Paulo Guilherme Santos
Art director
Luís Monteiro
Costume designer
Patrícia Doria
Makeup & Hair
Susana Correia
Gaffer
Paulo Silva
Key grip
Horácio Gonçalves
Line producer
Ângela Cerveira
Producers
Isabel Machado
Joana Ferreira
Elena Tatti
Production
C.R.I.M Produções
Box Productions
In coproduction with
RTS Radio Télévision Suisse Romande
Swiss distribution
Outside the Box
DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY
Born in Switzerland in 1962. Lives and works in Portugal since 1989.
Started working as a production designer in the films of Teresa Villaverde, Tom Tykwer, Margarida Gil and Manuel Mozos (among others), then as a screenwriter for Joaquim Pinto, Paulo Rocha and José Alvaro de Morais.
Her films as a director have participated in the competitions of festivals such as Berlin, Locarno, Belfast, Vienna, Roma, Milan, Montpelier, Brussels, Dublin, Barcelona, Huelva, Athens, Copenhagen, Kiev, Calcutá, Bombay, São Paulo, Buenos Aires , San Francisco, Miami, IndieLisboa, Vila do Conde, Santa Maria da Feira, Festroia, etc.
Her latest feature film received national (Quartz for best screenplay) and international awards, and was distributed theatrically in five countries and released on DVD in Switzerland and France.
Studied Japanese at Freie Universität Berlin (1982-86), managed a small cinema, theater, and concert hall in Berlin (1982-88).
Speaker at ECAL, Lausanne, (2009 and 2012), and led an actor directing workshop at the Cinema and Audiovisual Course at the Universidade Federal Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro (2011).
In 2019, completed a master’s degree in animation at the Universidade Lusofona de Humanidades e Tecnologias.
