W.J. Solha

The convergences and complexities of life in a middle-class suburb of Recife, Brazil, are played out in mesmerizing style in this stunning debut feature from film critic turned director Kleber Mendonça Filho. Taking a broad, diverse set of strikingly realistic characters - including a bored housewife seeking solace in technology, a descendant of colonial landowners struggling with his dark, mysterious past and a security company employed to provide protection to them all – Filho paints a rich, detailed portrait of a community connected and engulfed by fear, desire and the incessant murmur of modern life. A beautifully subtle, fiercely intelligent and utterly engrossing snap-shot of present-day Brazil, this bold, compelling and endlessly intriguing film has announced one of the most exciting new voices in contemporary world cinema.