The last four years have been a long and gratifying expedition. From Porto to Austin, Vancouver, Lisbon, Funchal, Łódź, Berlin, Prague, Amsterdam... I've been traveling, learning, researching, meeting new people, overall I greatly evolved both as researcher and as human being.
Most people complain about the hard process. I'm nothing but grateful for how much I have experienced. As I wrote in my acknowledgements section, "Although a Ph.D. is frequently compared to a pilgrimage, despite all the ups and downs, I must confess the path was more pleasurable than painful. Even during the writing process, that often becomes a lonely walk, along the road I met many different people, in a variety of places, who supported and encouraged me." I'm grateful to all of them.

The jury of my viva voce examination (left to right): Nelson Zagalo (external examiner), Eugénio Oliveira (jury president), Rui Penha (internal examiner), me, João Mário Grilo (my supervisor), Marina Estela Graça (external examiner) and Nuno Correia (internal examiner).

Me and João Mário Grilo, my supervisor.

While I'm struggling to finish two short documentaries/installations, I submitted the proposal of presenting a very rough version of East Side, filmed in Austin, during my time in the city as visiting scholar, at. Cafe Chercher, an initiative by the University of Amsterdam. Cafe Chercher is a platform to present unfinished research projects and get feedback from peers.

Saturday, June the 30th, from 2pm on. Do come along and joint us for discussing unfinished projects.

On my way to Amsterdam to present part of my Ph.D. research at the NECS Conference. NECS is a wonderful network for film researchers. Is the place where I always find interesting peers, get to know (in the flesh) my theoretical references and get inspired.

This year and particularly looking forward to listening Henry Jenkins (one of the keynote speakers) and experience the virtual reality installation CARNE y ARENA, by Alejandro González Iñárritu.

"Bear 71: o documentário interativo enquanto panóptico de vigilância" is the title of my communication at the Portuguese Moving Images Researchers' Association VIII Annual Meeting, held at the University of Aveiro, May the 19th.

Once again, Viana do Castelo Film Meetings is on tracks.
Check our brand new website and visit us 2 - 7 May.
www.encontrosdecinema.pt

Only a few days left for kicking off FILMES DO HOMEM International Documentary Film Festival. I'm looking forward to watching great films, meeting amazing directors and drink some wine. If you are around, do come along and visit us. All the activities are free.

My favorite picture from last year's edition. Me and Margarida Cardoso, wonderful film director and member of the jury, during the awards ceremony.

Talking about interactive documentary (as always) and sharing my experience at the National Film Board of Canada with University of Cape Verde and ISMAI - University of Maia (Portugal).

"O documentário interativo participativo enquanto arquivo fragmentado, vivo e evolutivo " is the title of my communication for the VII Meeting of the Portuguese Moving Images Association.
​The presenting focuses on the digital archives we are creating in social media and I present how interactive documentary may create a context for those archives and provide them a meaningful use.
The communication is very much based in the paper I recently published at Cinergi - il Cinema e le Altre Arti that may be found here: http://www.cinergie.it/?p=6395​