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Filomena Cautela
Today she is one of the best-known faces on Portuguese television. But who is Filomena Cautela?
Presenter, actress, comedienne. What passions move her and causes does she defend?
PG – Filomena, more than a million Portuguese people watched the live SIC job interview at the Golden Globes. You had already been pursued by the boss of TVI. Can you tell us why you are so passionate about RTP that you can resist so much temptation (both from SIC and from TVI)?
FC – It's crazy. I’m not sleeping (laughs). They’re always calling. When I get up in the morning, there’s Daniel and Cristina. “Stop, please stop”...
PG – Do you feel like a sought-after woman?
FC – In real life?
PG – Professionally speaking...
FC – No, no. I think we are speaking about two completely separate things. While I think the Globes were a beautiful thing, it was a particularly embarrassing moment because I didn’t know what was going to happen. It didn’t help that I was also feeling unwell that day.
As for Cristina, well, we’ve been in a lot of special situations. I don’t feel sought-after. Right now I feel cold (laughs). Does that answer your question?
PG – Of course it does. Is it fair to say that your career, if we can call it that, can be described as “before” and “after” Eurovision?
FC – I’m not comfortable using the word “career”; but yes, I think there has been a “before” and “after” Eurovision in the way certain people began to look at me. It’s not necessarily about how I work or the way I behave. Professionally, I don’t think there has been a “before” and “after” either. I think there are a number of people who began looking at me differently after Eurovision.
PG – What do you think changed at that moment?
FC – I don't know. I think people thought I wasn’t very bright, and then suddenly they thought “Ah! She speaks English, so she’s not stupid after all.” I believe that’s what happened (laughs). They were “Hey! She speaks English. Who’d have thought it?” Yes. I think it might have been a little bit like that. Everybody seems quite eloquent when they speak English, and suddenly that happened.
At the Eurovision that took place in Portugal, the EBU, which produces Eurovision and other programmes, was kind enough to allow me to do things my own way. While it might not seem like it, it is a fairly conventional event with a few creative touches. I felt more comfortable when I was given that opportunity, and the public saw that.
PG – Do you always feel more comfortable when you are given space to be creative?
FC – only feel comfortable like that. That’s why I feel so uncomfortable doing photo shoots (laughs). I am only comfortable like this, and I think that if I have ever achieved anything in my career it is this. It’s having the privilege of people trusting me to create.
PG – And what part of the girl from Morangos com Açucar is still with you?
FC – You know, know matter how hard I scrub, it never comes off. It’s horrible. Not even bicarbonate will do. So, what is still with me? I think I maintain a little of the responsibility for what this profession is. I think that when I started working I was very aware of what this craft is, whether working as an actor, whether working... Working in front of a camera means that lots of people are going to have access to what that lens is capturing. And I have always had a sense of responsibility in relation to that. And before, I had a lot more. Now I know I can push things and push the envelope here and there, but there are still many limits to what I do, and I am aware of the responsibility that comes with being here.
PG – Television is often, or almost always, quite cruel, in particular in respect of women and age. Is that something that worries you?
FC – Just looking at my wrinkles will show you that I don’t (laughs). If I did, you wouldn’t see them. I think television is cruel and the public is cruel to women, and particularly cruel to women as they age - much more so than compared to men. There’s no comparison.
PG – Why do you think this is?
FC – It’s cultural. It is absolutely cultural. A man like Richard Gere, who has grey hair and wrinkles, is seen as a charming stud. A woman with grey hair and wrinkles is just old. And there’s a kind of... when suddenly, even as an actress, when you start to show a few wrinkles you can’t even get cast as the aunt. I don't know what roles are left. It’s very limited. It’s very cruel. As for me, I think I want to keep my face as long as I can. I have no qualms whatsoever. I’m scared of needles, which is a shame, because otherwise I would have had Botox on my eyelashes if I could. But I really am afraid of needles, so I’ve never had any work like that done. That being said, I have nothing but respect for those who do, because it is very, very cruel to be on television and be constantly judged by the public. It is much more cruel than photo shoots, which is why it scares me so much.
PG – Actress, presenter, comedienne. In which role are you most comfortable?
FC – Look, I’m comfortable as an actress. I mean, I have always worked as an actress, and continue to work as one, although perhaps in less mainstream roles. So perhaps people don’t have that idea. And I feel very comfortable as a presenter. I was very concerned about the precarious nature of the profession when I started working. I would always worry whether or not there would be a cheque at the end of the month and if there would be money to buy food. I did not enjoy that at all. And so the idea that I can be a television presenter, to use my acting experience to present television while also having the good fortune to be able to pick and choose my acting jobs is just wonderful.
PG – You have been loyal, and are loyal to public service. Is it fair to say that Filomena Cautela is a woman of causes?
FC – I don’t know if I am a woman of causes, although I was a woman of causes with a machine gun, who sprayed bullets in all directions. Now I know how to focus. I know that when we work in public service we have both the right and the obligation to understand that people are watching us, so the content we provide cannot be hollow: it cannot be meaningless. My charm is not enough.
PG – We have the right and the obligation...
FC – I don’t know if I’m a woman of causes, but I do know that nowadays we have access to a vast amount of information on our phones, often from very unreliable sources, produced by liars and manipulators. So those of us who work in public service have a duty to surround ourselves with reliable sources, with people to work hard to tell the truth, to tell truths that can change people’s lives. We’re not in a very good place in this world just now, we’re really not. We are walking towards a catastrophe with our eyes open... We all know what is happening with climate change; we all know what is happening with economic inequality. We all know, and we just have to live with it, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to get up in the morning without throwing ourselves out the window. So, if we are privileged enough to be able to think about it, and if we don’t have ten children and work a minimum wage job; if we are in a position to be able to think about what is happening, then we also have an obligation to try to move things in a slightly better direction.
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Shirt, trousers and belt A Line
PG – I was thinking about asking you if there are any boundaries to humour. But I will rephrase the question: is it possible to use humour to defend certain causes?
FC – I certainly do not agree that comedy should only deal with important topics. There is a place for comedy where the sole purpose is to make people laugh. Laughter is good. It is therapeutic. It’s good for you; it’s important, so it is therefore a very good thing. I believe that in my line of work there are many people who are very funny, who do comedy very well. In Portugal we are fortunate to have comedians who are very good at making people laugh. I’ve managed to find a place where the programmes I dedicate myself to now can make people laugh.
PG – In one of your most recent programmes, Programa Cautelar, you got lots of praise, but also came in for some criticism. Are they two sides of the same coin?
FC – It’s funny, because it was one of the few shows I’ve done where the criticism to praise ratio was so very disparate that I am unable to answer yes. And that’s for one simple reason: because it was really divergent, because I think the feedback was ridiculously positive. It would be cynical to say otherwise. I have done other projects where I received a lot of criticism. So they are two sides of the same coin. When we are in front of the camera and have a public profile, it is clear that we are walking into the lion’s den. And nowadays, unfortunately, anyone with an internet connection can say anything they want about you. People are allowed to be cruel and mean, and sometimes even criminal in the way they express themselves.
PG – There’s a new generation of Portuguese actors who are making a name for themselves internationally. Do you have this ambition?
FC – No. When I was 17 I had big dreams about going to work abroad. Not any more. I am content where I am: it is cool and extensive and gives me creative freedom and the freedom to enter into people’s lives and try to have a positive impact on them. I can’t ask for any more than that. I have no ambitions to go abroad.
PG – One last question. Here we are in Porto. The focus of this edition is the city of Porto. What memories do you have of this city?
FC – So many... I have lived here many times. I’ve spent many wonderful seasons here. I’ve lived in Gaia, I’ve lived in Porto, right in the city centre, I’ve lived in Foz and I’ve lived beside Canidelo beach. I feel very close to Porto and its people, and not just Porto, but also Braga and Guimarães...
I have come to Porto every week for the past three months. I have lots of friends here. There is nothing quite like the charisma, personality and courage of the people of Porto. There really isn’t. And to top it all, it is all wrapped up in a certain classiness...
I have been very happy here.
Shirt Boss
Coat Balmain at Fashion Clinic
Shirt A LINE
Dress Diogo Miranda
Shoes Luís Onofre
Shirt A LINE
Tights Falke
Shoes Augustha
Suit Inês Torcato
Shoes Felmini
Shirt and trousers Diogo Miranda
Shoes Luís Onofre
Trenchcoat Burberry
Suit Majatu
Shoes JJ Heitor
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Fashion
Is the white shirt the perfect canvas for us to express our individuality?
Can it be a route to genderless fashion?
Five years ago, A LINE was born as a shirts brand, focused on the fabric quality and the perfect fit. While being sustainable, the purpose was to provide women with a style instrument that could be simultaneously comfortable and professional. Today the brand has evolved to a full wardrobe, although the white shirt is still the primary pilar, as well as the eternal passion of its intemporal slogan – in order to do it, you must do it well.
What is it in a white shirt that fascinates you so much?
A white shirt is the basis of everything in an outfit; its versatility, the way it grabs so many different styles and personalities in such an effective, with no room for error, way. It’s fascinating to work with it in the simplest way, but also to be able to explore other elements that exist around the white shirt universe and offer various ways to use it. Adapting it to contemporary times but never neglecting our own sense of taste.
What power do you see behind a white shirt?
We feel that the white shirt means power, sexiness and romance and is well placed inside the limits of a garment that is synonym of versatility and total freedom. It is, without a doubt, the garment that best represents the female empowerment, the trust, the equality, not only for what it has been representing throughout history, but also because it allows women to position themselves in whatever role they play.
How do you still reinvent the way you create shirts? What do you feel buyers these days look for in this garment?
We always design and create from the original reference of a shirt. We don’t want to lose that factor, but it pleases us to explore each element, to play with scales, placements... we always try to add something new, unexpected details that add value to our garments simplicity and that that shows no matter who wears them. Besides all that, we are very strict when choosing raw material. We always prefer high quality fabrics, but above all with great durability, that along with the luxury finishing touches, fitting and timeless design, it assures our shirts survive a lifetime. The ones who seek A LINE never prescind on that.
Places
Its White walls have been dressed in all colors, have taken some of the greatest fashion names, have served as stage to many talents. A white canvas turned into a photography studio and fairytale land, Vila Nova de Gaia hosts this place that, since its start, was magic: the makeover that shaped it into what it is today happened only two months ago, an achievement by Tânia Castro, a self-employed architect whose list of associations include Eduardo Souto de Moura.
Reflecting on the conditions required for a photography studio, how do you start this kind of project?
Like in every other project, with lighting. In a photography studio you don’t even think about it twice. Lights, lights, lights. We knew we needed a wide space to shoot and for the scene to take place, but there were other spaces that needed to be closed like in the office where you get a kind of coziness, and like in the dressing rooms and the toilet where you get more privacy.
The aesthetic is also very important because the studio itself serves as set, so each corner must be considered scenario. Function comes first and the aesthetic should be the result of what the production market looks for.
I suppose trying to reconcile a space for multiple purposes – photography, video, events – is one of the challenges. In what way were these purposes all included in this project?
We learned about it for 10 years with the old Laland Studio space in Cordoaria. The conditions required were very clear and it was also obvious that the space needed to be sorted. There were two open spaces, and it was immediately known that the one with the better lighting was going to be the “stage” for photography. That open space, curiously, also had a long and textured wall with a plant that bloomed in the middle of the granite stones of that same wall, which the owner really wanted to keep free for shootings.
A wide space, with a photography studio is already a good space itself for events to take place, but if we must reflect on the journey from the entrance, lounge spaces, sanitary facilities, etc, we reconciled this with the best aesthetic, also treasuring the landscape from Douro to the city of Porto.
How was the space initially and how did you adapt it to a studio? What parts did you keep, and which ones were altered or even destroyed?
Nothing was destroyed. That was always our big concern. When you mess with History, you really need to know what you’re doing, and I didn’t want that responsibility. First because I was short on time and second because what was already there was very beautiful. The space was just: concrete floor, granite white painted walls with stunning 5m arches and covered with wood lining painted black with punctually glassed tiles.
We created sets that were only placed on the floor, never touching the existent walls. So that we could use more space, only the set that was meant to be the office, with the kitchen on top, was leaning up against the three walls. We tried to create various atmospheres, so we have a Mediterranean-inspired patio, a set fully covered with wood, black panels that can be lined with other materials, a toilet in shades of pink, a colorful kitchen, etc.
What did you have to do to keep the natural lighting?
We preserved the naturally brightened entrances, as well as the white existent walls. What we created was always based on the preference of the tones that could reflect that brightness to the interior space.
Aesthetically, what were the main insights?
Scene wise, it was Luis Barragán with his plans and sets overlaying. Although Álvaro Siza Vieira and Eduardo Souto de Moura have not been left out as influencers to sort out some details and organizing the spaces.
Is there anything that should be highlighted? Or did something curious happen during the production process?
To me everything needed to be improved, since we only had two months between directing the project and building it.
Although the patio and the kitchen were two very different spaces, they worked out well. We have a fully white Mediterranean atmosphere patio. The kitchen is filled with strong colored furniture and details, where you find a 3,50m table and a well-rounded chimney.
Shenanigans always happen and here there was no exception. We had to destroy a ladder that accompanied the patio because it was going to compromise the office’s space. The most curious fact was that we were able to do all this in two months.
Team
Hair Rui Rocha
Make up Patrícia Lima
Photography assistants Pedro Sá, Márcio Duarte @ Lalaland Studios
Text Patrícia Domingues
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