Leão Lopes
- educação
- cinema
- arte
- literatura
Leão Lopes, (Ribeira Grande, Santo Antão, Cabo Verde, 1948), is a film director, writer, artist and Cape Verdean teacher.
As a filmmaker, he stood out for making the first feature film of Cape Verdean fiction, O Ilhéu de Contenda (1996), based on the novel of the same name by Teixeira de Sousa. He is also the author of several documentaries, including Bitú (2009) and São Tomé - Os Últimos Contratados (2010).
In 1979, in Mindelo, he founded the NGO AtelierMar, dedicated to cultural training and capacity building and local development, which he still chairs.
He was Minister of Culture and Communications of the Government of Cape Verde during the legislature of Carlos Veiga (1991-2000) and is currently a member of the National Assembly of Cape Verde, elected by the MpD party.
He founded, in Mindelo City, the University Institute of Art, Technology and Culture (M_EIA), where he performs the functions of rector and teacher.
After completing his secondary studies in Cape Verde, Leão Lopes went to Lisbon, where he graduated in Painting from the Escola Superior de Belas-Artes de Lisboa. In France, he obtained a PhD from the University of Rennes II, with a thesis on the Cape Verdean writer Baltazar Lopes.
He is currently the rector of the University Institute of Art, Technology and Culture (M_EIA) and also teaches in various disciplines, including a Postgraduate Diploma in Film and Audiovisual.
His artistic vision is an expression of Cape Verde's experiences, particularly of her homeland, the island of Santo Antão. Being a multidisciplinary artist, Leão Lopes often rejects the labels of the various areas of performance. Quoting an interview in NosGenti magazine: I've never worn the uniform of a writer or an artist. For me, art is broad, and is supported by several disciplines of artistic expression, regardless of its specificity. I approach art, not in the plural, but only and exclusively in the singular. The supports that best allow me to express, regardless of the area, are the ones I choose at the moment.
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