Aniki-Bóbó

Aniki-Bóbó is a 1942 Portuguese film directed by Manoel de Oliveira. It is his first feature-length film. Mostly children, from Oliveira's hometown, Porto, play in its story. The script was adapted by Manoel de Oliveira from a short story by José Rodrigues de Freitas, Meninos Milionários (lit. Millionaire Children). Aniki-Bóbó is a rhyme from a children's game, akin to Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. The film was not very well received, but with time it gained recognition and was finally accepted as one of the most important Portuguese films of its time. In several respects, this film seems to anticipate Italian neorealism. No other feature film was directed by Oliveira in the next 21 years.