Comunicar Atitude

A Comunicar Atitude é uma produtora audiovisual independente sediada nos Açores, dedicada ao desenvolvimento de conteúdos cinematográficos, culturais e patrimoniais com forte ligação ao território atlântico e às comunidades locais.

Entre documentários, séries, exposições, projetos museográficos e investigação histórica, o seu trabalho cruza memória, identidade e narrativa visual, privilegiando histórias humanas, patrimónios esquecidos e processos de transformação cultural.

Com experiência em produção nacional e internacional, a produtora desenvolve projetos próprios e presta apoio integral a produções externas nas áreas de scouting, logística, produção executiva, casting e acompanhamento local.

O trabalho desenvolvido pela Comunicar Atitude tem integrado circuitos televisivos, festivais internacionais, espaços museológicos e iniciativas de valorização patrimonial, afirmando o audiovisual como ferramenta de preservação da memória coletiva e de projeção cultural dos Açores no contexto internacional.

O nosso estúdio de design:

Mauzuras
whatsapp-image-2026-05-28-at-13.49.46.jpeg

Mauro Pereira

Produtor e diretor criativo especializado no desenvolvimento de projetos audiovisuais, branding e comunicação visual para iniciativas culturais e institucionais.

whatsapp-image-2026-05-28-at-13.50.11.jpeg

Sandra Cristina Sousa

Realizadora e argumentista dedicada à criação de narrativas audiovisuais que preservam memória, identidade e património cultural.

Herança Baleeira

Whaling Heritage

Audiovisual Documentário Audiovisual
|
2026
Trailer
Whaling Heritage is a documentary about the Azorean Whaleboat, one of the most iconic traditional vessels of the Azores and a powerful symbol of Pico Island’s maritime identity. The film explores how the American whaleboat was adapted to the demanding conditions of Azorean whaling through the skill, experience and ingenuity of local master boatbuilders, who transformed it into a vessel found nowhere else in the world. Following the decline of the whaling industry, many of these boats were left abandoned in harbours across the islands. Their story took an unexpected turn when sailor Daniel K. Thorne, during an Atlantic crossing, encountered these remarkable vessels on Pico Island and became determined to restore one. Through his journey, the documentary takes viewers inside the traditional craft of wooden boatbuilding, revealing generations of accumulated knowledge and the enduring cultural significance of this unique maritime heritage. Today, the Azorean Whaleboat has found a new purpose through rowing and sailing regattas, bringing communities together and ensuring that a vital part of the islands’ maritime legacy continues to thrive.
Duration: 46 min
Format: HD
Language: PT
Subtitles: EN
—

Director: Sandra Cristina Sousa
Producer: Comunicar Atitude
Research: Sandra Cristina Sousa
Director of Photography: Mauro Santos Pereira
Camera: Joana Vieira, Sandra Cristina Sousa, Pedro Meneses, Mauro Santos Pereira
Editing: Sandra Cristina Sousa
Graphics and Motion Graphics: Mauro Santos Pereira
Post-Production: Mauro Santos Pereira
Supported by: Daniel K. Thorne Foundation, Governo dos Açores

Whaling Heritage forms part of a body of documentary work developed by Comunicar Atitude over the past decade, dedicated to the history of Azorean whaling and the transformation of the islands’ maritime communities. This long-term research and production initiative also includes the documentaries From Whale to Tuna and Greasy Luck, exploring different chapters of the Azorean relationship with the sea and the economic, social and cultural transitions that followed the end of the whaling industry.

The documentary follows the journey of Azorean whaling communities as they adapted to new ocean-based activities, highlighting the resilience of former whalers and the preservation of traditional maritime knowledge. Through first-hand testimonies, family memories and skills passed down through generations, the film reveals how expertise gained during the whaling era became fundamental to the development of new livelihoods, including tuna fishing, traditional boatbuilding, coastal lookout operations and, more recently, whale watching.

More than a historical record, Whaling Heritage contributes to the preservation and promotion of the Azores’ maritime cultural heritage. The film safeguards stories, traditional boatbuilding techniques and the legacy of the Azorean Whaleboat, while documenting the lives and experiences of the men and communities whose identity was shaped by the sea.

The project also benefits from the contribution of anthropologist Daniel K. Thorne, an American researcher who devoted much of his life to studying the whaling communities of the Azores. Through the Daniel K. Thorne Foundation, he has supported research, preservation and public awareness initiatives dedicated to Azorean whaling heritage, helping to safeguard a cultural legacy of international significance.

Participants and interviewees:
Former Whalers: Almorindo Lemos, António José, Daniel Martiniano, Fernando Bagaço, Francisco Machado, José Dias Pimentel, José Dinis Tomé, Manuel Dias Fraga, Manuel Hermínio Silva e Manuel Homem.
Former whaling crew menbers and association leaders: José Ermelindo Pimentel e Manuel Serpa.
Master boatbuilders: João Tavares e Manuel Monteiro.
Descendants of whalers and master boatbuilders: António Manuel Garcia, Irene Peixoto, Maria da Rosa e Maria dos Santos.
Maritime heritage specialist: Lizuarte Machado.
Museu do Pico / Museu dos Baleeiros: Francisco Medeiros e Manuel Costa Jr.
Government of the Azores: Nuno Ribeiro Lopes.
Anthropologist and academic expert: Daniel K. Thorne.