Interview by Rui Pastorin
In 1999, as Macau was on the verge of its return to the motherland, Portuguese photographer António Duarte Mil-Homens was among those who were able to capture the final moments leading up to it. And until January 17, 25 of those photographs are being presented at the Portuguese Consulate General in Macau and Hong Kong for an exhibition entitled “RAEM 25 Anos – Memórias de António Duarte Mil-Homens” (“Macau SAR 25 years – Memories of António Duarte Mil-Homens)
According to information provided during Monday’s opening ceremony, the photos on display captured the transition process for Revista Macau’s coverage, while part of the photos were also taken for the book “Macau: Os últimos 100 dias do Império” – Livros do Oriente e D. Quixote (“Macau: The Last Hundred Days of the Empire”) by Expresso journalist José Pedro Castanheira.
Revista Macau is a magazine published by the Macau Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC).
Expresso is a weekly newspaper in Portugal.
Moreover, the Lisbon-born and essentially self-taught lensman told the Post at the exhibition’s opening ceremony on Monday night: “I thought it would be important to transmit my feelings about what happened 25 years ago. And the best way to do this is to present pictures that were taken in that period”, noting that the photos represent important moments.
The last Consultative Council meeting of Governor Gen. Vasco Rocha Vieira, the last solemn session of the Leal Senado (“Loyal Senate”), which is now the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM), moments of the transfer ceremony, and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) marching into Macau are just some of the scenes that the Portuguese photographer captured and is presenting.
“This is my testimony. I think it is historical, something that happened 25 years ago will not be repeated again. So, I felt the need to share my experience from 25 years ago”, Duarte Mil-Homens told the Post.
The photographs are on display until January 17 and the photographer hopes that those viewing the pictures, whether they are from Macau or not, will enjoy looking at them.
Portuguese lensman António Duarte Mil-Homens introduces his works to guests attending the opening ceremony at the Consulate General of Portugal in Macau on Monday evening. – Photos: Rui Pastorin
These photos show Duarte Mil-Homens works on display.
