I proudly display and share my Portuguese heritage. Whereas I get the sense that my sister isn't quite as keen on keeping her heritage alive, I'm one of these people that's very much interested in not only sharing it and keeping it alive but helping it grow. A few years back I was very involved with the Portuguese community in Vancouver but a few happenings really rubbed me the wrong way, mostly because I felt like I was putting in so much of my time and getting so little thanks in return. That would be fine, if others were also being overlooked, but it irked me that some people would only show up for the big public events, doing little to no work at any other time, yet they garnered attention. Yes, I'm a little petty at time and this really did bug me. That's not to say that I don't love what Terry Costa, the guy behind the community - don't let anyone tell you otherwise - doesn't do amazing things. One of the projects he helped spear head was Portuguese Heritage Month, which actually kicked off on Sunday.
For the entire month of June, there are loads of events going on around town, most of them free of charge. If you're in town, I urge you to check out the events calendar for all the listings.
Given my film passion, it's no surprise that I veer directly to the Film and Video Festival portion of the events. I was checking out the various upcoming films and of those listed, I'm very, very excited to see "Foreign Land" from renowned Brazilian director Walter Salles who, earlier this year graced Cannes with his newest film "Linha de Passe".
Not directly related to Portuguese Heritage Month but also worth taking close note of is the fact that The Pacific Cinemateque will be running a retrospective of the world's oldest active director, Portuguese master Manoel de Oliveira. Between June 20 and July 6th, they'll be showing nearly all of the director's works, including his first film. Well worth checking out. If you're looking for a buddy to go with, worry not. Yours truly will be taking a few groups to the movies so if you want to tag along, keep your eyes peeled on the Vancouver Movie Meetup site.
And if you prefer to take in some local cuisine, be sure to check out the Georgia Straight's recent blog entry, care of the aforementioned Terry Costa, which outlines most of the local eateries.
All in all, should be a month full of fabulous events. Add in the EuroCup which kicks off with the first Portugal game on Saturday, and you've got more than enough events to get your Portugal fill for the year! Hope you get out to enjoy some of it! I sure will!
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