THE FATHER’S SHADOW Review: A Story Of Remarkable Faith Written In Tragedy And Penance (Final Girls Berlin 2020)
A small Brazilian village on decline sets the stage for writer/director Gabriela Amaral Almeida’s dark and spiritual drama, The Father’s Shadow, centered on nine year-old Dalva (Nina Medeiros), her father Jorge (Julio Machado) and his sister, Cristina (Luciana Paes). Jorge, a construction worker regularly exposed to unsafe conditions, is forced to deal with the death of his wife and the prospects of Cristina moving in with her new boyfriend who is self-employed. Meanwhile, Dalva, who usually frequents Cristina’s garden, adheres to a more esoteric coping mechanism in a form of witchcraft shared only between her and her Auntie. Further foreshadowing lurks about as Jorge learns the the unassuring nature of his employment, and Dalva’s latest hobby starts to rub off the wrong way on her closest friend, Abigail. The biggest culprit, however, seems to be the torment that lurks in Jorge’s wake when spirits begin to walk among Dalva and […]
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