TV Beats Co-Financing Market
Mercy
In 2002 Portugal, a journalist uncovers a pedophilia network at Casa Pia, risking her life against threats and lies.
The year is 2002. A journalist is about to uncover what will become the largest case of institutionalised pedophilia in Portugal. She navigates through the disappointments and lies surrounding her investigation while dealing with threats to her personal life. A journey into one of the most unforgettable cases in Portuguese collective memory.
Keywords: based on a true story, abuse, orphanage
Director's note:
Since 2018, I've been immersed in daily questions arising from extensive research and conversations with Felícia Cabrita about the Casa Pia case. Central among these inquiries is: What remains for survivors of this paedophile network?
The concept of “Piedade”, rooted in empathy, starkly contrasts with the institution's promise to shelter, educate, and protect minors, conveying a paradox central to this exploration. Here we’ve uncovered intimate, often overlooked stories of survivors and whistleblowers, aiming to illuminate their trauma.
This project not only narrates the Casa Pia case but also confronts systemic judicial failures and societal challenges. Visual storytelling techniques inspired by films like "Grâce à Dieu" and "Moonlight" are employed to capture the complexity of this narrative.
Driven by this commitment, I share the survivors' urgency: to ensure the Casa Pia case remains remembered and, crucially, to prevent its recurrence through awareness and accountability.
Justin Amorim is the producer and founder of Promenade. Born in Toronto, Canada, he moved to southern Portugal as a child. He earned a BFA in Film & Video from the School Of Visual Arts, NY, and collaborated with Tribeca Film Institute & Festival for six years. His debut feature, “Leviano” (2018), premiered at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and was sold to RTP, HBO, and Amazon. He recently directed the fiction series “5Starz” (2021) for RTP, reaching more than 1M views on RTP Play.
As Director, Scriptwriter & Producer: Flying Carpet - Fiction Short 2021 5Starz - Fiction TV Series 2020 Change - Fiction Short 2018 Leviano - Fiction Feature 2015 Millennia - Fiction short As Director & Scriptwriter: 2016 Não Petisca - Fiction TV series As Producer: 2024 Lovefool (dir. Hermano Moreira) - Fiction feature 2023 Alma Anciana (dir. Fábio Mota and Helen Aschauer) - Documentary feature 2022 The Second Man (dir. Thiago Luciano) - Fiction feature 2022 Fragile (dir. Pedro Henrique) - Fiction feature Almas Danadas (dir. Pedro Henrique) - Fiction feature Dreaming Of Lions (dir. Paolo Marinou-Blanco) - Fiction feature Hotel Amor (dir. Hermano Moreira) - Fiction feature La Vie De Maria Manuela (dir. João Marques) - Documentary feature 2022 We Won’t Dine (dir. Inês Sá Frias) 2022 Never Say Never (dir. Ana Brás, Joana Dias & Pedro Gomes) - Fiction TV series 2020 Green Perspectives (dir. Ana Correia) - Documentary TV series 2020 #Casadocais (dir. Ana Correia) - Fiction TV series 2024 Midnight (dir. Ana Quintão & Filipa Pinto) - Fiction short 2024 Trapstarz (dir. Gonçalo Loureiro) - Fiction short 2023 15' (dir. Francisco Neves) - Fiction short 2023 Nobody (dir. Marcela Jacobina) - Fiction short 2022 Autoerótico (dir. João Martinho) - Fiction short 2022 Under The Influence (dir. Ricardo Branco) - Fiction short 2020 Driving By The Peasants Land (dir. Bernardo Lopes) - Fiction short 2019 Eva (dir. Bernardo Lopes) - Fiction short
About: Founded in 2015 by Justin Amorim, Promenade is a Lisbon-based production company focused on its primary commitment to produce content that embodies youth, irreverence, inclusion, representation, diversity, and progressive ideologies, breaking away from traditional canons. Filmography: Lovefool (2024) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12669950/ Alma Anciana (2023) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt23744168/ Fragile (2022) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9322476/ The Second Man (2022) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12935690/ Leviano (2018) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5218736/