Aniki-Bóbó

Aniki-Bóbó
Directed byManoel de Oliveira
Produced byAntónio Lopes Ribeiro
Release date
  • 18 December 1942 (1942-12-18)
Running time
68 minutes[1]
CountryPortugal
LanguagePortuguese

Aniki-Bóbó is a 1942 Portuguese film directed by Manoel de Oliveira. It is his first feature-length film.[2] The actors are mostly children from Oliveira's hometown, Porto. The script was adapted by Manoel de Oliveira from a short story by José Rodrigues de Freitas [pt], Meninos Milionários (lit. Millionaire Children). 'Aniki-Bóbó' is a rhyme from a children's game, akin to Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.[3]

Reception

The film was not very well received, but with time it gained recognition and was finally accepted as one of the most important Portuguese films of its time. In several respects, this film seems to anticipate Italian neorealism.[4] It would be 21 years before Oliveira directed his next feature film.

References

  1. ^ "Aniki Bóbó". Cinecartaz (in Portuguese). Público. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  2. ^ Johnson 2005, p. 41.
  3. ^ "Os 80 anos de Aniki-Bóbó. O filme singular e poético de Manoel de Oliveira". Notícias Magazine.
  4. ^ Sadoul 1972, p. 12.

Sources