Francisco Melim

01/05/2026

Over time, attention moves away from the spectacle and towards what happens around it. People prepare, wait and rest. Moments of pause between periods of intensity.

What takes place in the ring is only part of the work. Much of it happens outside. Between training sessions and matches, it continues.

link in bio.

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Com o tempo, a atenção afasta-se do espetáculo e aproxima-se do que acontece à volta. As pessoas preparam-se, esperam e descansam. Momentos de pausa entre períodos de intensidade.

O que acontece no ringue é apenas uma parte do trabalho. Grande parte acontece fora dele. Entre treinos e combates, continua.

link na bio.

28/04/2026

I kept coming back, not for the spectacle, but for what happens around it. The training, the repetition, the way bodies learn to trust each other.

Nothing here feels accidental. Every movement is built over time, shared between people who rely on one another.

Spending time in these spaces, what stands out is not just the performance, but the work behind it.

Between training and matches, this is where wrestling continues to exist.

link in bio.

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Continuei a voltar, não pelo espetáculo, mas pelo que acontece à volta dele. O treino, a repetição, a forma como os corpos aprendem a confiar uns nos outros.

Nada aqui parece acidental. Cada movimento é construído ao longo do tempo, partilhado entre pessoas que dependem umas das outras.

Ao passar tempo nestes espaços, o que f**a não é só a performance, mas o trabalho por trás dela.

Entre treinos e combates, é aqui que o wrestling continua a existir.

link na bio.

22/04/2026

During my youth, wrestling existed on a large, almost square television.
For me, it only lived on that screen.

Years later, I found an active scene in Portugal.

Wrestling has been present in the country since the 1950s, but today it survives mostly through an independent circuit — built on daily training, physical discipline and collective effort.

Following this work, I found a community shaped by practice, proximity and mutual support.

Between training and live matches, wrestling in Portugal continues to exist.

link in my bio.

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Durante a minha juventude, o wrestling existia numa televisão grande, quase um quadrado.
Para mim, existia apenas naquele ecrã.

Anos mais tarde, descobri uma cena ativa em Portugal.

O wrestling tem presença no país desde os anos 1950, mas hoje sobrevive sobretudo através de uma cena independente — construída entre treino diário, disciplina física e esforço coletivo.

Ao acompanhar este trabalho, encontrei uma comunidade construída à volta da prática, da proximidade e da entreajuda.

Entre treinos e combates, o wrestling português continua a existir.

link na bio.

21/08/2024

http://www.franciscomelim.com/

Francisco's born in 1993, in Lisbon, his portfolio stands as a testament to his keen storytelling ability, capturing the essence of life.

15/01/2024

On October 1, 2022, the lives of 66 families living above the rainwater ditch took a dramatic turn. Machines suddenly descended upon the neighborhood, initiating the demolition of homes that had served as residences for generations. The once-unified community was thrust into a world of uncertainty and challenges.

On October 1, 2022, the lives of 66 families living above the rainwater ditch took a dramatic turn. Machines suddenly descended upon the neighborhood, initiating the demolition of homes that had served as residences for generations. The once-unified community was thrust into a world of uncertainty a...

18/10/2023

It was a privilege to spend a few hours with Tomás () talking about some of the most pressing challenges facing the beekeeping industry.

In the face of economic and environmental challenges, Tomás is not slowing down in his mission to protect these unique pollinators and the biodiversity that depends on them.

http://www.franciscomelim.com/silent-buzz-of-the-portuguese-bee

22/08/2023

Looking for assignments.

Francisco's born in 1993, in Lisbon, his portfolio stands as a testament to his keen storytelling ability, capturing the essence of life.

16/06/2023

http://www.franciscomelim.com/

Francisco Henrique Melim (born in Lisbon in 1993) is a Portuguese photographer who grew up amidst the mountainous landscape of Sintra and the suburb of Mafra. At the age of 15, he began capturing his first photographs with a Vivitar V3800N inherited from his mother. Influenced by the rhythm and idio...

05/05/2023

27/06/2021

https://cargocollective.com/franciscomelim/LAST-VIDEO

This footage is from a personal project shot right at the beginning of Portugal’s lockdown late last year. Before being holed up at home for three months, I followed Bruno Diniz one bright early morning as he rode his custom Harley Sporter through t...