FILM SCREENINGS

Swirl

2011. Brazil/Spain/Germany. Directed by Clarissa Camplina, Helvecio Marins. With Maria Sebastiana Martins Alvaro, Maria de Conceicao Gomes de Moura, Luciane Soares da Silva, Jr. Set in a small town in the arid highlands of Brazil’s Belo Horizonte region, Swirl lovingly records the barely manifest reactions of an older faith healer as she attempts to cope with the sudden death of her husband. Though her children come to visit, they have their own lives to live, and it falls to a friend who lives nearby to help her deal with her sorrow. The two old women cope with everyday needs and seek to understand the deeper meaning of their existence. Braganca’s elliptical storytelling is integral in portraying beliefs, myths, and habits of a rural Brazil that is being swept aside with the passing of the older generation. In Portuguese, English subtitles. 87 min.