BALDIO documentary, supported by the Gulbenkian Foundation, to be presented in Lisbon

Aida, Joaquim, Carla and Francisco are not connected to one another, yet at different moments and in different parts of Portugal they each decided to take action when they saw a place, a way of life or a shared future under threat. Through their stories, BALDIO reflects on participation, citizenship and activism, asking what drives us to move from concern to action.

The documentary explores the very idea of a baldio. In Portugal, the law recognises it as a collective, community-owned property that is neither public nor private, managed by local communities according to their customs and traditions. This notion of a shared territory, which remains alive only as long as there are people who recognise and care for it, runs throughout the film and serves as a metaphor for today’s democracies, understood as shared spaces that depend on the participation of all.

Over the coming months, BALDIO will travel to several cities as part of an impact campaign designed to extend the questions raised by the film and create concrete opportunities for participation. Screenings will therefore be accompanied by discussions and Action Stations organised by ZERO – Sustainable Earth System Association, in collaboration with local organisations.

The first Action Station on Citizen Activism will take place on 31 October at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, in Lisbon.

The morning programme will feature a presentation of the documentary BALDIO – From the Ground Up, followed by a conversation between its protagonists and directors on citizenship, participation and community action. In the afternoon, the ZERO Association will lead a workshop on citizen activism and host a discussion on the role of documentary cinema in mobilising people and communities. The campaign that will take the film across the country will also be presented. The day will conclude with a musical performance by Edgar Valente and the Coro dos Anjos.

This event marks the starting point of a journey that aims to take BALDIO beyond the screen, creating spaces for connection, reflection and engagement around climate action, environmental issues and participatory citizenship.