PARADISE: PORTUGAL'S RAVE HISTORY

UK PREMIERE + Q&A

There was a time when paradise flickered in strobe lights and echoed through abandoned warehouses.

In 1990s Portugal, a new rhythm took hold - urgent, hypnotic, unstoppable. What began underground soon burst into the national spotlight, immortalized in archival footage of José Rodrigues dos Santos introducing rave culture to a curious prime-time audience.

We are dropped into castle raves, sweat-soaked dance floors, and the heart of a decentralised DIY movement that spread far beyond Lisbon and Porto. First-hand interviews with DJs, promoters, dancers, and producers trace the birth and evolution of a scene built on community, curiosity, and euphoria. Through intimate testimonies, the film captures a movement that defied convention and rewrote the soundtrack of a country. These are stories of rebellion and belonging, of friendships forged in darkness and light, of nights that felt endless — and never long enough.

Made by those who were there, this is not just a chronicle of a scene, but a love letter to a moment when music meant freedom.

DANIEL MOTA | 2025 | PORTUGAL | 81 MIN