Le Portugal, un refus aux deux facettes

Abstract

Not having directly intervened in the conflicts of the Second World War, as a “neutral” country, Portugal was nevertheless at the heart of diverse and contradictory representations and hopes. A welcoming land or a passageway, the country remained in the hands of a castrating and threatening totalitarian power, while being seen by refugees as an open door to freedom. Beyond the traditionally associated elements of Portugal at the time, Helena Marques' novel (O Bazar alemão, 2010) and Nicholas Oulman's documentary (Debaixo do céu, 2018, 75') reveal a little-known Portugal through the voices of those who witnessed it. Thus, these stories of existence participate in the dynamic knowledge built upon this period, from constantly renewed archives