Fogaréu

Drama and fantasy, (and a subtle LGBTQ+ subtext) intersect in Flávia Neves’ debut feature, set in a Brazil little-seen on the big screen: the central-western part of the country, specifically the town of Goias, where remnants of the colonial era and its horrible abuses clash with the uber-modernity of agribusiness. Following the death of her adoptive mother, Fernanda (a striking Bárbara Colen, from Bacurau) returns to her hometown after a long absence seeking answers about her unknown biological parents. Welcomed at her rich uncle’s house, she soon chafes at her family’s privileged existence—and begins to uncover the horrible details about why so many servants in the community suffer from intellectual disabilities…

‘The inherited historical guilt of a country. The inhumane treatment of one’s fellow humans. The search for an identity that colonial imperialism once stole. Neves dives deep into the still-burning hotspots of Brazilian history.’—Suzanne Gottlieb, Cineuropa