Portuguese documentary “Play it Again, Yuki” at the Celorico da Beira Cultural Center

The Celorico da Beira Cultural Center will host the Portuguese documentary “Play it Again, Yuki”, by director João Ganho, this Thursday, September 11th, at 9:30 pm, as part of its national premiere.

The work was awarded the Audience Award – FILMin for best film at the 30th edition of the Caminhos do Cinema Português Festival (2024), in Coimbra.

This is a music documentary centered on classical pianist Yuki Rodrigues' return to the stage, now also as a composer, after an 18-year absence due to a serious injury to her right hand. "Play it Again, Yuki" witnesses the evolution of her healing and overcoming process through the eyes of director João Ganho, in which music takes center stage. The decisive step is the recording of her first original album, determined to confront her fears, traumas, and her audience.

Over the course of 18 months, João Ganho collected 80 hours of footage and testimonies that reveal Yuki's most human and vulnerable side, resulting in a film that is a true fusion of cinema and music (original themes). From the original themes, he constructed the film based on interviews and scenes from the album's recording and post-production, reflecting the dilemmas, traumas, and fears the artist experienced in her healing and overcoming process.