You are here:

Al Berto

Name: Al Berto
Director: Vicente Alves do Ó
Released: 2017
Duration: 113 min

Representation Score

6.4/10

Good

2017

Not Rated

Director

Vicente Alves do Ó

Runtime

113 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Al Berto is a character study that intertwines personal identity with the sociopolitical shifts of 1975 Portugal. By centering a queer artist, the film challenges the straight-centered constraints of a country transitioning away from a dictatorship. The film succeeds in aligning individual ability to act with large-scale systemic changes. It uses the friction between personal liberation and institutional control to critique the traditionalist social order of the time. While the film excels in queer representation and cultural critique, it offers less clarity regarding racial diversity and disability. It remains a focused exploration of a specific, transformative historical moment.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Al Berto have LGBTQ+ representation?

Excellent

The film centers on a gay protagonist, making queer identity the primary lens for the era. This positioning provides a significant role in driving the story to a historically sidelined figure.

How does Al Berto portray gender?

Good

The narrative focuses on subverting traditional social roles through youth culture and eccentricity. It suggests a movement toward more fluid expressions of identity during a patriarchal era.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Al Berto?

Fair

Set in a specific Portuguese locale, the film explores a generation in transition. However, specific details regarding racial diversity are not explicitly provided.

How does Al Berto represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The story engages with the deconstruction of traditional institutions during a period of political upheaval. It critiques established power hierarchies through the lens of systemic change.

Does Al Berto include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence within the narrative regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Present on Screen

Strong queer ability to act through a central gay protagonist.
Effective critique of straight-centered and patriarchal social structures.
Deep engagement with historical and political transformation.

Limited or Absent

Lack of explicit information regarding racial and ethnic diversity.
No visible representation of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Portugal, 1975. A time of rough changes. A young gay artist trapped in a small seaside town ran by communist winds. Al Berto, the writer, embodies an entire moving generation. He and his friends exude youth, eccentricity and hope for the future - but right after the fall of Portugal's dictatorship system, the country is not yet ready for his love story.

How are these scores produced? →