Alain Tanner (JONAH WHO WILL BE 25 IN THE YEAR 2000), who single-handedly brought Swiss cinema into the world spotlight, takes his cameras to the streets of Portugal in this revealing portrait of a city and a man who wanders through it. Ganz (THE AMERICAN FRIEND) is a ship's mate who tires of his job and stays behind in Lisbon when his boat returns to sea. He lives in a daze, writing letters to his wife, discovering the city with his super-8mm movie camera, and having an affair with hotel chambermaid Madruga. Almost entirely improvised, IN THE WHITE CITY is as worth seeing for the intriguing super-8mm footage as for Ganz's involving performance--you really feel you're discovering Lisbon through his eyes.
http://www.tvguide.com/Movies/databa...ie.asp?MI=1654
