THE FLIGHT OF THE MANTA RAYS / PORTUGAL / LOUISIANA PREMIERE

It all began as all stories begin, at the start. When I was younger, my mother would sit me on her lap, and tell me that, every day the manta rays would come out of the sea flying, by the hundreds!

Director's Biography:

From the Nominee to the Sophia Awards of the Portuguese Film Academy, Bruno Carnide is an independent portuguese director and founding director of Leiria Film Fest - International Short Film Festival.

Carnide directed several fiction, documentary and animation short films, which won dozen Awards and have been exhibited in hundreds film Festivals around the world, including Oscar Qualifying Festivals.

Director's Statement:

"The Flight of the Manta Rays" appears in a streak of inspiration shortly after the birth of my first and only daughter, about a year ago.

The arrival of a baby, that is a piece of us, often makes us stop and think about the past and the future. In imagination and ingenuity. In greatness and smallness.

I thought about making a film that would serve as a tribute to her. To show her that the world is exactly as she sees it: mysterious and beautiful; full of news and lots of things to discover.

Sitting on the sofa, I saw the image of a manta ray and, as I appreciated its beauty and grandeur, I imagined that, instead of swimming in the depths of the ocean, how good it would be if they flew in the vastness of the sky. And I started to draw.

I then drew, for a long year, a story that she could tell, with all the naivety and wonder of a child. A story that mixes a little with our family background. Imagining that my daughter met her great-great-grandfather (unknown to me, my parents and grandparents) in another dimension.