My Village Doesn't Live Here Anymore (2006)

"I was born beneath this water. I was 10 years old when it all happened. Some things I remember well, others are blurred and confused. People change address, new churches are built, new bakeries, houses and streets ... But in this case, everything changed at the same time. Perhaps it was a way of pretending that nothing moved at all." During six years the makers shot this film in Luz Village (Portugal), condemned to disappear beneath the waters of the Alqueva dam. Especially for this project, a new village was constructed. But the forced migration does not pass very smoothly, since existing social structures, as well as the unique relation with nature are being disturbed. Combining these images with stories told by children who recollect their life during the moving process, this documentary presents the strange story of this village.