Arte Xávega

In the dead of the night, the alarm clock rings. It’s 4:40 a.m. It’s time for fifteen bold men to prepare for one of the last days of the condemned art of artisanal fishing called “arte xávega”. Headed by the master of the campaign, Manuel Maria, side by side with the owner of the boat, David Oliveira, and his wife Carolina Tavares, these men move towards the beach in Ovar known as “Torrão do Lameiro”, braving the unforeseeable night. They go in hope that the sea will make the morning bustle worthwhile and reward them with a good haul. It’s two minutes past six and the first rays of morning light appear. The boat, “Pedro, o Pescador” (Peter, the Fisherman), enters the waters of the Atlantic. “Pushed” by the rest of the campaign, four men leave on a trip to cast meters of net and rope into the sea. When they return, a game of gestures and looks begins. Each man knows the important role he plays and what to do to be the most useful. It’s a play that has unfolded for nineteen uninterrupted years. How much longer will it last?