There are premieres that welcome you with a warm handshake. And then there’s the first episode of A Mala De Cartão (1988), which grabs you by the collar, whispers a secret in your ear, and promptly vanishes into the Lisbon fog.
The year is 1988. Portugal is five years into EEC membership, but the optimism hasn’t trickled down to the winding alleys of Alfama or the newly built suburbs of Lisbon. The episode opens not with dialogue, but with sound : the rhythmic, anxious click of a latch being tested. Over and over. A Mala De Cartao -1988- Episode 1
Here’s the pain: A Mala De Cartão was never released on DVD. The master tapes at RTP archives are reportedly damaged. The only known copy of Episode 1 exists on a VHS recorded in 1988 by a university student in Coimbra. A 45-second clip surfaced on YouTube in 2009 before being taken down for “copyright reasons” (who holds the copyright? No one seems to know). There are premieres that welcome you with a warm handshake
If you ever find a dusty VHS labeled “Mala – Ep.1” at a flea market in Braga, buy it. And then call me. Portugal is five years into EEC membership, but