Premiering today, June 5, 2025, in Portuguese cinemas, The Melusinas at the Edge of the River marks the feature-length debut of director Melanie Pereira. The film opens in Lisbon (Cinema City Alvalade), Coimbra (Casa do Cinema), and Porto (Cinema Trindade).

The film, which was part of the Cinema Falado Competition at Porto/Post/Doc 2023 and was screened at Batalha Centro de Cinema and Passos Manuel, now returns to the big screen in a commercially distributed version.

The Melusinas at the Edge of the River has garnered widespread acclaim, winning three awards at Doclisboa 2023 – Best Portuguese Competition Film, the Fernando Lopes Award, and the Schools Award – and was later named Best National Documentary at the Porto Femme Festival in 2024.

In Porto, a special screening will take place at Cinema Trindade on Sunday, June 8, at 9:30 PM, with the director in attendance. Regular screenings will run throughout the week. In Lisbon, on Friday, June 6, at 9:35 PM, Cinema City Alvalade will host a Q&A session with Melanie Pereira and researcher Maria do Carmo Piçarra.

The film weaves a dialogue between the Luxembourgish myth of Melusina and the lived experiences of five women born of migrant parents in Luxembourg, reflecting on themes of identity, migration, and belonging — subjects that have earned Melanie Pereira increasing recognition on the national and international festival circuit.