Mehdi Belhaj Kacem

MEHDI BELHAJ KACEM, portrait by Olivier Zahm

being JCM / being MBK

by MEHDI BELHAJ KACEM
portrait by OLIVIER ZAHM

 

João César Monteiro, one of the most important Portuguese filmmakers and poets of the past 20 years, was photographed as a homeless man with his dog. He was 40 years old when the photo was taken. The dog’s sign says “cao” (Portuguese for “dog”). The filmmaker’s sign says “cineasta” (filmmaker).

I can’t look at the photograph without thinking of it not only as a portrait of a filmmaker, but also as a portrait of a philosopher — more specifically, myself. Only in my case, the signs would read “mangy dog” and “non-university philosopher.”

Monteiro was homeless for long periods. The message of his life — that people must be allowed to create art in total freedom —  could be…