Taking place in a near-future Brazil, this speculative, surrealist drama follows a couple living in a dystopian, religious society that offers neon-baked drive-thru prayer and Carnival is rave-like religious spectacle. Joana (Dira Paes) is seemingly content with her role in society working as a bureaucrat in a registry office where she takes it upon herself to counsel married couples seeking legal divorce. She finds it her personal mission to dissuade as many couples as possible from the marital dissolution they are seeking. Deeply religious, Joana is a firm believer that prayer and a sultry couples therapy program will reward her with a child. Her husband Danilo (Julio Machado), for his part, is doing his level best to contribute to the effort by undergoing the latest high-tech therapies. However, not everything is as it appears, and when life doesn't go as planned for Joana and Danilo, the couple go looking for answers, where they may be compelled to imagine a life beyond the strictures.
Director Biography
Gabriel Mascaro, born in Brazil in 1983, is both a visual artist and filmmaker. He has been producing film and art since 2008, and his work has exhibited at festivals and galleries across the globe. His other films include August Winds (14) and Neon Bull (15).
Press
"[A] profound cinematic question about the nature of the country’s conflicted soul." - Indie Wire