Words: Cláudia Pinto
Photo: Frederico Martins
Amid the whitewashed houses and slow rhythm of the Alentejo, Soraia Chaves walks with a quiet intensity that leaves no room for doubt — like Monsaraz itself, her career is also a place where dreams live.
The sun warms everyone who walks these streets; shade is a passerby’s best friend. It’s May, the Alentejo is heating up, and there is barely a breeze. Soraia Chaves strolls through Monsaraz, its streets opening out onto a horizon of endless plains.
Soraia Chaves grew up between dreams and imagination. From fashion and travel magazines to her father’s VHS tapes, the world took shape early in her mind. “I grew up in a small place — Trafaria — and I think it was through cinema and fashion and travel magazines, which were around when I was a pre-teen”. She always used “those forms of art forms to escape, or to expand my horizons a bit”. The magazines became a form of escape, but also a window into the future. “Very early on, I started feeling inspired by those works of art — especially cinema, because my father had a huge collection of videotapes at the time. It was a source of entertainment, but also of inspiration. It was a place to dream”.
In the 1990s, the world was buzzing with international catwalks, top models and the rise of major fashion designers. “There was a huge influence from the fashion world during my teenage years. In the 1990s, there was a fashion boom, and I went through that phase when fashion was at its peak — it was also a dream world. We had all the top models and the great designers… I felt incredibly inspired by those women. I remember there were ten top models in the world. I remember Peter Lindbergh’s portraits of all of them so clearly. I was fascinated by those women. Totally fascinated. My favourite at the time was Christy Turlington. I thought she was a dream woman”. And the inevitable question arises: “What does that do to a teenage girl’s mind?” The answer isn’t quite as straightforward as one might expect: “I also wanted to be photographed like that. I wanted to belong to that world, that dream, let’s say,” Soraia explains. “Not that I wanted or had the ambition to be a model, but I wanted to be in a portrait. I wanted a portrait like that”. Shortly afterwards, Ragazza magazine announced that a professional photographer was looking for people to photograph. “And I thought, this is it. I sent in some photos of myself to get a photoshoot in Lisbon. And it was an incredible experience that still surprises me to this day — because it felt like a place of comfort”.
“I felt completely at ease in front of the camera: it all came so naturally to me. It was magical”. The shoot went well and, at the just 14, she signed with Elite, one of Portugal’s top modelling agencies. “After that, I entered the national Elite Model Look contest, and after winning, I went on to represent Portugal abroad. That was the beginning of my modelling career, which also played a very big role in shaping my personality”.
Shortly afterwards, with a solid modelling career under way, her love for cinema began to emerge from every pore! “I knew I enjoyed studying. I knew I wanted to be an actress. I did my first audition for a TV movie when I was 16. I didn’t get the part, and once again, I let things flow. Then came a moment, when I was 21 or 22, when I felt I really needed to take the next step. And, interestingly, just as I made that decision, I was invited to audition for O Crime do Padre Amaro, which launched my acting career”, she explains. “It’s been 20 years now, and I’ve been fully committed to the profession ever since”.
The film marked a turning point and set her on the path to a career in cinema. “It’s such an iconic character that even 20 years later, people still bring up that project. It’s important because it launched my career, and it shaped how the public sees me. It was the most popular piece of work I have done. People still associate me with it”.
As Amélia, Soraia took her first steps on the silver screen, but many more women followed — Maria, Martírio, Mariana — just a few from a much longer list. And what have they taught you? “So much. That’s what I find most beautiful and fascinating about my profession. It’s precisely the process of studying, of understanding a character psychologically, and also grasping the differences in social context and time — and how those things shape a person. For me, that’s the most beautiful part: that human insight. If we look deeply at others, at the people around us, we learn a lot from them. I think it’s a very beautiful and important exercise”.
“Even when the characters are traumatised or marked by something — by society or circumstances — I find that fascinating: discovering the humanity in each of them and understanding why. That’s what makes me a more empathetic and sensitive person. I learn something from each of them, always. Always. And I think that applies to life beyond acting, too”.
Empathy and stepping into someone else’s life have an impact not only on her craft, but also on her daily life. “I feel like we’re living through a time when we are witnessing a kind of dehumanisation, or at least an attempt at it. But we’re not robots: we’re human. We’re not machines whose only purpose is to make money, to serve, to perform a function. That terrifies me. Watching this growing coldness in human relations, which has been quietly creeping in for some years now. That’s why art and culture are so vital at this stage”.
Natália Correia stands out among the women who have inspired Soraia. “She inspired me in a way that… (pauses) Her strength, the way she looked at the world. She was a visionary and a woman with a very strong personality. In society and in public, she made her presence felt. People tried to diminish her because she had strong and very clear opinions. But if you really look at what she said and wrote, she was absolutely ahead of her time. And she had the strength to use her voice — even through the theatricality she sometimes adopted. That strength and courage, combined with her sensitivity and the expansive way she saw the world, was truly inspiring. During the time I spent immersed in her world and in the world of poetry, something very beautiful and surprising happened: I genuinely began to see the world differently”.
“I could feel that effect, really feel it, for about two years. For two years she was present, and then it started to fade. But now and then, I remember — and it really did live inside me”.
The world of acting today faces new challenges, including increased exposure and the pull of social media. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel that pressure. I do — but I fight it. I think we’re in a very challenging moment because of this constant comparison brought about by digital media. We’re constantly holding a phone that shows us other lives, that tells us what we’re supposed to be now. So, yes, I do feel that pressure as an actress, because I still work with my image, don’t I? And now there’s this new trend that women should not have wrinkles — essentially, that women should be perfect. Right now, what I see around me, what I observe, is this desire for an image of perfection. Women portraying other women — and I try to push back against that pressure by holding on to what I have always believed is identity: the importance of keeping hold of our own identity. Our originality is beautiful.
In an issue where we are more attuned to craftsmanship and what is homegrown, is there a Portuguese soul we feel and carry with us? What exactly is this Portuguese soul? “What I identify in the Portuguese soul — what sets it apart and what I find particularly beautiful — is its sensitivity. We have a certain way of seeing. The Portuguese soul is profound. It has many layers and has many subtitles. But above all, it is profound — it touches very deep places. We feel things and live with emotion. Sometimes that emotion can lean towards nostalgia. There’s a bit of saudade in the Portuguese soul, but that’s what makes it beautiful. Things are done from within, and if they are genuine, they will be original. And if they’re made with love, then there’s a real value placed on what’s authentic and real. At least, that’s how I see it. We’re a very deep people. And I think that’s something you can see it in this magazine too — it shows the world that artisanal work is done with care, love and a kind of creativity that’s exceptional. I believe that comes from a deep, not superficial, desire to create. It’s spontaneous; it’s genuine. And then there’s the rigour, the love and the dedication. That’s what makes these creations so special. Portuguese creativity comes from that deep place”.
She describes herself as being like water — she lets things flow. She doesn’t make plans for the future, but she does have projects, dreams and ambitions she wants to fulfil. Without pressure or haste. “Now I’m going to do theatre. I’m 40, and I’m going through a phase where I feel the need for new challenges. I think I’m heading towards something I’ve always really wanted, which is to find a way to tell my own stories — in other words, to have a little more creative control. Not just conveying other people’s ideas, but being able to shape my own into something artistic. And my great passion is cinema, and I have so many stories in my head. I’m moving towards that place. I need to bring those stories to life and tell them. So I would say that’s probably what I want most right now. Possibly through directing and writing. A creation that comes from what’s inside me.
