A collaborative book project by Dave Robinson and Anna Isaak-Ross
Famels abound in the Alentejo region, and what we'd found in the village of São Luís is a common sight in that quiet corner of Western Europe. Many young people leave these tiny villages to find jobs in the cities of Germany, England and Spain. And the elders of those emptying towns go about their day on two-stroke engines they bought in the sixties and seventies. They putter about from café to fish market, home for a two-hour lunch and rest during the hot hours of the afternoon, then maybe back to the café for the Benfica or Sporting Lisbon fútbol match. Their Zundaap engines were made in Germany, the rest of the bike came from the Famel metal fabrication factory in Agueda. Famel represents one of the few companies to outlast fascism and remain in business after the bloodless "Carnation Revolution" of April 25, 1974.
This book project is a culmination of nearly six months in Southern Portugal, during two visits, aimed at capturing portraits of Famel owners and their motas throughout Alentejo.
Words by Dave Robinson.
This project has the generous support of Cultivamos Cultura and is seeking publishing support.
