Talking Picture, A

Date: 2003
Director: Manoel de Oliveira
Production Company: Madragoa Filmes, Gemini Films, Mikado Film

Stars: Leonor Silveira, Filipa de Almeida, John Malkovich, Catherine Deneuve, Irene Papas, Stefania Sandrelli
Location(s): Portugal, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt

Region(s): , ,

Storyline:

Well-informed mother takes her daughter on Mediterranean cruise stopping off at important sites to impart musings on life and history. SJ

Additional Information:

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Departing from Lisbon.

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Padrão dos Descobrimentos, i.e. Monument to the Discoveries aka Henry the Navigator monument, off Avenida da Brasilia on the north side of the Tagus.

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And further west off the Avenida da Brasilia on this foggy day is Torre de Belém aka the Tower of St Vincent.

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Silveira in Marseille, France

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Those are the feet of mother and daughter, Silveira and de Almeida. The old port of Marseille foundation plaque celebrating the Greeks' founding of Marseille in 600 BC.

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An overcast view of Napoli, probably taken from Via Pacuvio, looking east.

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  • 27 May 2014

Silveira and de Almeida on Via Partenope, Napoli, overlooking Castel dell'Ovo.

Once on an island called Megaride, according to legend, Virgil, yes he of the Aeneid, laid the castle's foundation with a magical egg, hence Ovo. SJ

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  • 27 May 2014

A cultural visit to Pompei Scavi.

Camera never lies? Vesvius/Somma has disappeared in the heat haze, without any photoshopping! SJ

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  • 29 May 2014

As above.

Now you don't see it now you do. The volcano has returned to match the "then," unlike the above. SJ

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  • 22 Oct 2014

In the south end of the forum of Pompeii/Pompei.

Same smear marks on the pedestal. SJ

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  • 27 May 2014

The forum looking north.

The attempt to grass over the forum has been abandoned. SJ

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  • 21 Oct 2017

As above

Hard to fit in the complete panorama so here's a shot of the rest of it as well as somebody filming the forum. SJ

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  • 21 Oct 2017

Joining a guided tour and picking up nuggets of info.

Always busy in the forum: this replaces my shot from 27/5/15 with a better angle and even the shadows bang on. SJ

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  • 22 Oct 2014

The pair head north.

The Forum baths are to the left. SJ

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  • 22 Oct 2014

Approaching the House of the Tragic Poet, the one with the "cave canem" mosaic, also featured in Latin II by SRH James.

Quite a popular mosaic with the visitors. Just north of the Forum baths. SJ

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  • 28 Jun 2018

The Acropolis ("city on the edge"), Athens, Greece.

Still there. (PW)

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  • 28 Jun 2018

The two gaze up at the Parthenon, Acropolis.

Visitors are still looking up at the ancient edifice. (PW)

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  • 28 Jun 2018

They meet a priest (Nikos Hatzopoulos).

This looks like the right angle . . . . it's all those pillars that confuse the shot. (PW)

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  • 28 Jun 2018

The Erechtheum.

Taken later in the day. (PW)

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The view from the Acropolis.

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View of the high hill from the Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus.

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Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus

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Another overcast day as the cruise takes them on to Istanbul, Turkey.

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  • 01 Jul 2014

Welcome to Istanbul. The Yolcu Salonu ("Passenger Terminal"), Istanbul's cruise ship dock in Karaköy, close to Galata Bridge.

Chris Tirevolis found this shot he took in February 2011. On there left the "famous" Galata Tower. (RL)

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Arriving at the hotel. The Peninsula Hotel, Kemankeş Caddesi No:34, Istanbul. (SR)

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de Almeida and Silveira enjoying the Hagia Sofia ("old wisdom") Chris Tirevolis adds Hagia=Holy, Sofia=wisdom and to be totally accurate the full translation meaning is Holy(God's) Wisdom and not "old" but through time the spelling "God's" was probably left out to make shortening easier. (RL)

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And inside.

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Alexandria, Egypt ... maybe. Steve Randall ingeniously applied Google translate which yielded “Port Said”, and “Tourist Port” in English, so this must be the Port Said Tourist Port, 7888+HHV, territorial waters, Port Fouad City, Port Said Governorate, Egypt and confirmed with an image from the net.

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Giza, Egypt ... definitely. Pyramid of Khafre/Chephren and the Great Sphinx. Pyramid of Khufu to the right.

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Now this is "Aden" in the narrative but Ceuta in Spanish Morocco may well have stood in. The jury is out... Actually the jury has now come back in: Steve Randall found an image match with Gezira Palace, Cairo (Now the Marriott Hotel) (1863-64).

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In a casbah. Distinct flooring may, just, help!