Portuguese Film Writer & Director Laura Carreira Wins 2 BAFTA Awards with "On Falling"

Portuguese filmmaker Laura Carreira cemented her status as a major new talent in European cinema last night, securing a stunning double victory at the Scottish BAFTA awards for her debut feature film, On Falling. The film, which stars acclaimed Portuguese actress Joana Ribeiro, not only won Best Fiction Film but also earned Carreira the award for Best Screenplay, a rare achievement for a first-time feature director at the prestigious Glasgow ceremony.

A Breakthrough in Glasgow

The filmmaker secured two of the most prestigious honours at the BAFTA Scotland awards ceremony on Sunday evening. Her project, On Falling, was named Best Fiction Film, triumphing over a competitive field. Carreira herself was also personally awarded for Best Screenplay in Film and Television, a testament to the powerful narrative she crafted.

This double win is a significant milestone, marking her debut feature with the highest possible accolades from the British Academy's Scottish branch. The industry recognition firmly establishes Carreira, who is Portuguese-born from Porto but has been developing her career in Scotland, as a formidable new voice in European social-realist cinema.

A Story of Portuguese Precarity Abroad

What makes the victory particularly resonant for audiences in Portugal is the film's subject matter. On Falling features a powerful lead performance from Joana Ribeiro, known for her roles in Linhas Tortas and The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. Ribeiro plays a skilled Portuguese factory worker living and working in Scotland.

The narrative explores her character's existential crisis when the factory, her long-time source of stability, announces its imminent closure and relocation. The film captures a story of economic vulnerability and personal displacement that will be deeply familiar to many within the Portuguese diaspora and to those back home accustomed to such narratives of emigration. The story pits Ribeiro's character against a new reality, alongside her Scottish co-star, Jack Lowden.

On Falling - A Portrait of Modern E-Commerce Warehouses

At its core, On Falling is an intimate and unflinching look at the existential dread of modern insecure work. The film centres on Aurora, a Portuguese factory worker in Scotland, played with quiet devastation by Joana Ribeiro. Aurora is not just any worker; she is a "picker" in a vast, dehumanising e-commerce warehouse (like Amazon), a setting that serves as a powerful metaphor for social isolation.

Carreira's award-winning screenplay follows Aurora over one critical week. The film avoids high drama, instead building tension through the minute, daily realities of her life: the monotony of her shifts, the constant digital monitoring, and the fragile nature of her low-wage contract. When a financial crisis hits, the film becomes a masterful psychological portrait of a woman trying to maintain her identity while trapped in a system that renders her invisible.

It is a story that speaks directly to the Portuguese diaspora experience but also universally to anyone navigating the "gig economy." The film is less about a single event and more about the crushing, systemic weight of precarity and the search for human connection in an atomised world.

Overview of Laura Carreira's Journey

These BAFTA Scotland awards are no sudden arrival; they are the culmination of a decade of focused, critical work. Laura Carreira's journey to this point began not in Scotland, but in Portugal, first studying at the António Arroio School of Arts in Lisbon before making the life-changing move to the UK at 18 to attend the prestigious Edinburgh College of Art.

Based in Scotland ever since, Carreira has methodically built a powerful portfolio of short films that established her unique voice. Her previous works, such as Red Hill (2018) and The Shift (2020), earned nominations and awards at major festivals, including IndieLisboa and the Venice International Film Festival. These films rigorously explored the very themes now perfected in On Falling: labour, social alienation, and the human cost of economic instability.

This double win for her debut feature catapults her from a "rising star" to a major new voice in European social realism. The impact of this recognition in Glasgow, her adopted home, is immense. It validates her deeply personal and critical perspective on modern society and firmly places her among a new generation of filmmakers crafting powerful, politically-conscious cinema.

From Portugal to the Scottish 'New Wave'

This triumph is the culmination of Laura Carreira's steady ascent. Portuguese-born but now firmly based in Scotland, she honed her craft at the Edinburgh College of Art. Her previous short films, including The Red Hent and Vozes, garnered significant international attention at festivals, praised for their sensitive and critical examination of modern labour and alienation.

On Falling expands on these themes, blending a Portuguese perspective with the stark realities of post-industrial Scotland. Carreira's success signals her integration into a vibrant scene of Scottish filmmakers while bringing a distinctly Portuguese sensibility to her work.

What This Means for Portuguese Cinema

This recognition transcends a personal achievement; it is a significant moment for Portuguese talent abroad, proving that stories rooted in the national experience can find a universal and critical audience. The success of a film starring one of Portugal's top actresses in a role that speaks directly to diaspora stories reinforces the global reach of the country's creative industry.

Following these major awards, anticipation will now build for the film's wider distribution. Industry analysts and audiences alike will be watching closely for announcements regarding a potential Portuguese premiere, bringing this internationally celebrated story home.