Aniki-Bóbó

Manoel de Oliveira's first feature, from 1942, takes place on the banks of the Douro in Porto. Carlitos is a shy schoolboy who wants to buy a doll for his classmate Teresinha, has no money and steals it from a shop. Eduardo is brave, loud and easily has the girl's attention, and the rivalry between them turns into a serious accusation after an accident by the river. The film shows the world of children as a scaled-down version of adult morality: crime, conscience, informing and forgiveness all happen on the same street. Oliveira cast the children from non-professionals and recorded the city with documentary attention, which is why the film is counted as taking a similar road before Italian neorealism. It is the beginning of a very long directing career. Who it's for: viewers who like classic European cinema and films about childhood. Who it's not for: anyone expecting technical polish; the film carries the conditions of its period.