Ten years in the making, the film captures the spirit of a movement.
Photo credit: IndieLisboa – Website
Lisbon-based collective Paraíso has just premiered their long-anticipated documentary ‘Paraíso’ at IndieLisboa, with follow-up screenings scheduled for May 9th at Cinema São Jorge, and May 17th at Cinema Passos Manuel in Porto.
The film explores the rise of Portugal’s underground rave and electronic music culture in the 1990s — a moment that forever shaped the nation’s sound.
What began as a casual radio show on Rádio Quântica evolved into a decade-long project: a living archive of firsthand stories, interviews, and rare footage recovered from private collections and forgotten VHS tapes. Directed by Daniel Mota, ‘Paraíso’ features 38 voices — DJs, producers, dancers, and promoters — who together paint an intimate and vivid portrait of a scene in motion.
Avoiding conventional interview formats, the film pairs contributors with real musical relationships, weaving conversations into previously unseen footage from RTP, SIC, MTV, and personal archives. The result is a raw, immersive love letter to a culture built in warehouses, beaches, and clubs — and a vital document of Portugal’s electronic legacy.
Watch the trailer below and learn more at the IndieLisboa official website.
