A Brazilian/Mexican/Chilean/Netherland production helmed by director Gabriel Mascaro presenting a dystopian panorama of humour and satire which is a gentle, silent and highly effective jab at ageism and massaged- “media managed” governmental oppression in society.
A Brazil where at age 75 you are “honoured” as “national living heritages” with your residence marked by a laurel and awarded a medal by the Brazilian state.
Brazil wishes to avoid its seniors suffering “a life of loneliness” and ensuring its younger workforce can concentrate on its work not having to worry about its elders. At 75 bearers of such age are forcibly transported to retirement “colonies”.
Less than discrete allusions to the Holocaust one might surmise the laurel on residences equating to the Star of David markings used in Nazi Germany and retirement “colonies” to concentration camps? We never see what a “colony” is but breadcrumb hints on the film’s trail may lead to a “Final Solution” conclusion.
Attempts at evading the mandatory “colonies” result in apprehension and removal in a small, motorized cage referred to as a “wrinkle wagon”.
Tereza (Denise Weinberg) is a 77-year-old awaiting transportation to a “colony” refusing the “honour” embarking on an evasive wild Amazonian adventure. There are blue drool snails depositing psychedelic slime, dishonest ultra light plane pilots, “nuns” plying the Amazon River selling virtual bibles and a fighting fish gambling joint named the Peixe Dourado (Golden Fish).
While there are those that trip out on blue snail drool Tereza is on an incredible road trip along the Amazon so beautifully photographed.
Influences here of “The African Queen”, “Easy Rider”, “Holy Days”, “Cool Hand Luke” and “Apocalypse Now”. I make the references and I’ll let you figure out why!
Is there a memorable highlight? Hard to answer as there are many but the trippy fighting fish adventure at the Peixe Dourado is a massive one that is right up there with the Honda and Hopper “Easy Rider” LSD sequence at the New Orleans graveyard.
You have the choice to be serious, morose, toss and turn at night contemplating a dismal future and pertinent societal happenings on the Brazilian Amazon or you can tuck that negative stuff in the back of your mind and enjoy with a huge smile on your face Tereza’s incredible journey.
There is such a phenomenon as a “fun” dystopian film!
Watch the tailer here https://vimeo.com/1161942532
Theatrical run commences in Canada 3April2026.
RKS 2026 International Film Rating 93/100.
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