A man observes his father’s body lying on the white hospital sheets, only moving because of the artificial respirator that keeps him alive. A panic-stricken pregnant woman holds on tight to her husband in an ambulance, as medical staff try to resuscitate him. In an apartment, the man tries to get used to the disembodied space where his father lived. The father’s dog is still there, but his presence in no way attenuates the feeling of profound emptiness that emanates from the place. A couple expecting a baby live in the remote countryside, but one night the husband goes out and does not come back. In a story with minimal dialogue, these men and women seem anaesthetised by their overwhelming grief, dealing with the loss of a loved one. —33ª Mostra Internacional de Cinema
Born in Portugal in 1974. He studied film at the School of Theatre and Cinema (ESTC) and, in 1998, he co-funded the production company O Som e a Fúria. In that year, he directed his first feature film, Estou perto, for which he was awarded at the Vila do Conde and Locarno festivals. His second short, Sem movimento (2000), was a prizewinner at Venice. The rest of his production –the shorts Corpo e meio, A serpente, Arquivo, Mercúrio and Voodoo, as well as his only feature film, A zona– are shown in the focus section at this year’s BAFICI. —bafici.gob.ar
A miraculous personal film, directed with a great eye. Some of the best images I have seen in awhile, I believe this is the only site to have the film for viewing, please do yourself a favor and watch as a new great director debuts his first feature.