Elena (2012)

Elena (2012)

A cinematic portrayal of sisterhood

7.6

Movie

Brazil, United States of America
English, Portuguese
Documentary, Drama, Thriller
2012
FEMALE DIRECTOR, PETRA COSTA
Elena Andrade, Li An, Petra Costa
82 min

What it's about

Petra heads to New York in search of her older sister after a long time of being separated. They are both movie actresses and heirs of the wounds of the Brazilian dictatorship. But Petra has only a few clues: home movies, newspaper clippings, a diary...

The take

Filmmaker Petra Costa tells the story of moving to New York from Brazil to follow her dream, the same one her mother once followed, of becoming an actress.

She carries memories of a third person who made the same move, a sister called Elena. Elena left her when she was seven-years-old, and after intermittent calls and messages, disappeared.

This documentary is a tale of three women: of their feelings separation, longing, and ambition. It’s made to be a visual poem of their story.

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