From contemporary dance to music, literature and theatre, Doclisboa 2026 presents a selection of films exploring different forms of artistic creation. Through portraits of artists, creative processes and works that have shaped cultural history, the festival’s 24th edition, taking place from 15 to 25 October, offers new encounters between cinema and other art forms.

Dance at Doclisboa

The Voice of Oprheus (2026)

In In-I In Motion, Juliette Binoche makes her directorial debut, revisiting her collaboration with dancer and choreographer Akram Khan. In 2007, the two created In-I, a performance developed over six months and staged around a hundred times worldwide. Drawing on previously unseen footage, Binoche returns to this experience and reflects on the risks and transformations involved in artistic creation.

Meanwhile, The Voice of Orpheus, by Arnold Pasquier, follows the revival of Pina Bausch’s Orpheus and Eurydice almost three decades later. In Wuppertal, two dancers learn the piece under the guidance of Dominique Mercy, who originally performed the role of Orpheus in 1975, in a process of passing on one of the landmark works of contemporary dance.

Music on the Big Screen

Esta Vida de Marinheiro 2026

In Kurtág Fragments, Dénes Nagy follows Hungarian composer György Kurtág, who turns 100 in 2026, on a journey through the places that have shaped his life and his work with musicians such as Víkingur Ólafsson and Pierre-Laurent Aimard.

Film music takes centre stage in Nino – A Film About Nino Rota, by Walter Fasano. Narrated by Sting, the film explores the life and work of the Italian composer, who wrote around 150 film scores, including his celebrated collaborations with Fellini, Visconti and Coppola.

In Elza, Eryk Rocha creates a portrait of Elza Soares through the Brazilian singer’s own voice, bringing together memories, desires and reflections in a dialogue between music and the history of Brazilian cinema. Portuguese music is represented by Esta Vida de Marinheiro, by Paulo Miguel Antunes, which retraces João Aguardela’s career through archival footage, home movies, concerts and testimonies from family and friends.

The programme also includes Once Upon a Time in Harlem, by David Greaves, which revisits a historic gathering of leading figures in African American culture, and Viva Carmen, by Sébastien Laudenbach.

Literature Meets Cinema

Siri Hustvedt – Dance Around the Self

Literature also holds an important place in the programme. Siri Hustvedt – Dance Around the Self, by Sabine Lidl, follows the American writer’s personal and literary journey, from her arrival in New York to her emergence as one of the leading voices in contemporary literature, including her relationship of more than four decades with Paul Auster.

In O Filme do Meio, Margarida Gil films Maria Velho da Costa and Armando Silva Carvalho over four days as they review the proofs of O Livro do Meio, a book they wrote together. Meanwhile, Carta a Uma Jovem Escritora, by Marta Pessoa, draws on the rediscovery of five Portuguese women writers — Olga Gonçalves, Maria Cecília Correia, Alice Sampaio, Graça Pina de Morais and Maria Amélia Neto — to question the mechanisms that have led so many female voices to be forgotten.

In Life of Jorge Luis Borges, Mariano Llinás offers a biography of the Argentine writer through the documents he left behind, the books he read and the places he visited. Running for more than five hours, the film seeks to decipher a life entirely devoted to literature.

The programme also features Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie, by Alex Gibney, about the writer and the attack he survived in 2022.

A Life Devoted to the Performing Arts

Casa do Artista – Não é Permitido Envelhecer (2026)

In Casa do Artista – Não é Permitido Envelhecer, Solveig Nordlund observes the daily lives of the residents of Casa do Artista, through songs, memories and their enduring dedication to the performing arts. A portrait that brings together artistic vitality and the challenges of ageing.

Across dance, music, literature and theatre, Doclisboa 2026 presents different perspectives on artists and their work, creative processes and the relationships between artistic languages.

Doclisboa takes place from 15 to 25 October at Culturgest, Cinema São Jorge, Cinemateca Portuguesa and Cinema Ideal. Explore the full programme and discover all the screenings.