Dividual

Dividual is a documentary project that reflects on the meaning of individual in a modern liberal society and the question of free will in an individualised society. The narrative analyzes this issue of individual vs dividual in which the individual presents himself as something indivisible and represents the core of his existence as opposed to being a dividual who is considered divisible and belongs to a complex system composed of different dimensions or social and cultural aspects. The individual is part of a system that is interrelated but is essentially independent. Individuality is believed to be non-existent since we all function in relation to the other - the exponential liberal crisis and the recent Covid 19 pandemic is a reflection of this concept of an individual who acts in free will. This relationship between individuals is freely manifested in the film's circular narrative from the voices, silences, actions, moments of contemplation, abrupt cuts and visual and sound subversions that populate the narrative. Dividual is based on a set of observational footage taken over several years in the city of Porto. The director recorded daily activities in public and private institutions that focus mainly on short-term support for families in need or ostracized sectors of society The film intends to discuss and question modern society values and human nature through a non-linear contemporary portrait of intimate life stories. The narrative does not intend to focus on a specific character or on a single theme or story. A web of life stories, events, spaces, institutions, professions, traditions appear interwoven by an urban symphony of contrasts, of distinct realities, constituted by multiple perspectives. The editing interrupts speeches, raises questions which does not answer, presents only sections of events, without introduction, without exposition or context, without any warning. The narrative presents only sections of life-stories, without judging or argumenting any specific point of view. The narrative in the form of a mosaic presents themes such as violence education, health, poverty and justice as the main body for reflection; questioning the role of our institutions in the organisation of everyday life and the ethical and moral quality of our society.