“Bitoques & Imperiais”: inspired by Portuguese flavors, new series narrates immigrant journeys
Created by Polish Lukasz Gieranczyk and Brazilian Thiago Yoshinaga, the production will be launched on September 25 and celebrates the foreign perspective on Portugal.
Immigrants in Portugal have surpassed the one million mark, and a new series sheds light on these foreigners’ views of the country. “Bitoques & Imperiais,” which will be launched on Wednesday, the 25th, builds the narrative through themes such as entrepreneurship, arts, real estate, and expectation vs. reality.
Brazilian director Thiago Yoshinaga and Polish executive producer Lukasz Gieranczyk had the idea for the series during meetings fueled by two of the most popular Portuguese culinary items amid discussions about the film “Coffee and Cigarettes,” by American director Jim Jarmusch.
“We started meeting to talk about projects, and we always ended the conversation by having a beer and eating a bitoque. From there, the idea arose to create something with this essence, a format that captured these laid-back exchanges and the challenges of immigrant life,” says Thiago Yoshinaga, who lived between São Paulo and Bogotá but traded both cities for the tranquillity of Lisbon.
The documentary series, divided into five episodes, seeks to build an image of Portugal through the eyes of immigrants from different parts of the world. In addition to Brazilians, such as entrepreneur Carolina Brito from Acarajé da Carol and influencer Patrick Couto, @dompatricio, the project includes foreigners from China, Catalonia (Spain), and Poland.
“We wanted to showcase the diversity of those who choose Portugal as home, which includes themes such as the real estate crisis, entrepreneurship, and stand-up comedy,” explains Lukasz Gieranczyk, who moved to Portugal to open his production company, 7800 Productions, responsible for launching “Bitoques & Imperiais.”
For Thiago, the project also carries a personal touch. “I was going through a divorce, and thinking about this series gave me a new purpose. We brought a lot of what is important to us, from the restaurants where we filmed to the stories we tell,” he recalls.
The episodes of “Bitoques & Imperiais” not only discuss current themes but also provide an intimate perspective from the guests, who reveal their experiences and challenges in a new country.
“The goal is to connect with the audience sincerely and authentically, without major format innovations, but with a lot of heart,” asserts Lukasz.
The episodes will be available exclusively on the producer’s YouTube channel, accessible through the website 7800tv.com.
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