Book launch “O REI NO EXÍLIO: GÉNESE E TRANSFORMAÇÃO DE UM SOLO (1990-2025)”

Francisco Camacho – internationally recognised as one of the leading figures in the Portuguese contemporary dance movement – has published a book entitled “O REI NO EXÍLIO: GÉNESE E TRANSFORMAÇÃO DE UM SOLO (1990-2025)” (The King in Exile: Genesis and Transformation of a Solo (1990-2025)), in which he gives a first-person account of the creation of the work that launched him onto the national and international dance scene. According to Ezequiel Santos, who wrote the preface to the book, it is ‘a vibrant, generous and human account of the creative process(es) that led to the production of this excellent work.’
The book recounts the birth of the work, which premiered in 1991 at the Klapstuk Festival, as part of the Europália Portugal programme; the process of making Bruno de Almeida’s film about this piece for RTP in 1992; and its transformation – or remake – in 2013 for its premiere in Uruguay. The work, in addition to being a retrospective on the dancer and choreographer’s work, provides a documentary look at the creative process in the performing arts. It reveals the daily work of creating a choreography until it becomes a show. ‘O Rei no Exílio: Génese e transformação de um solo (1990-2025)’ records, for the first time in book form, images from the notebooks and relevant personal objects that accompanied Francisco Camacho in this creation.

The book launch will take place on 3 December at Clube Estefânia – Espaço Escola de Mulheres, preceded by a screening of Bruno de Almeida’s film ‘O Rei no Exílio’ (The King in Exile) and a performance of ‘O Rei no Exílio – Remake’ (The King in Exile – Remake).