Plano Frontal was a film residency led by director Pedro Sena Nunes, which took place as part of MDOC (Melgaço's International Documentary Festival) with the aim of contributing to an audiovisual archive on the intangible heritage of Melgaço. In 2022, I had the opportunity to participate in one of the four teams chosen annually and, for a week, make a short documentary film on a local theme of my choice.

 

While researching, I discovered that Melgaço, together with Monção and Valença, was once a hub for the nightlife in northern Portugal. Today, however, the scene is different. Apart from the Sorriso bar, which has seen a notable decline in customers, all clubs have been abandoned or closed down. Through the eyes of DJs, employees and managers of establishments that have marked Melgaço's nightlife in recent decades, we explore its current state and the changes that have taken place since its heyday at the end of the last century.