Vitalina Varela
(Pedro Costa, 2019, 124 min, Portugal, Cape Verdean Creole & Portuguese w/ subtitles, Color, DCP)
The highly anticipated new film from Pedro Costa, director of Horse Money, Colossal Youth, In Vanda’s Room and Casa de Lava. Vitalina Varela, 55-year-old Cape Verdean, arrives in Lisbon after a 25 year wait for her plane ticket – and three days after her husband’s funeral. With exacting, painterly cinematography, Vitalina Varela is an exquisitely crafted study of mourning and memory.
“A spellbinding nightmare. Dazzling. Conjures chiaroscuro wonder after chiaroscuro wonder.” — Neil Young, The Hollywood Reporter
“A ravishing, masterful vision. Transcendent. Gorgeous. The camera lingers on stunning compositions with such delicate palettes they may as well be Renaissance paintings brought to life.” — Eric Kohn, Indiewire
