VITALINA VARELA
Pedro Costa

O.V. Cape Verdean Creole | st English

A plane takes Vitalina from Cape Verde to Portugal for the funeral of her husband, who abandoned her long ago. Through dark Cape Verdean immigrant ghettos, images of postcolonial abandonment and her late husband’s nearly ruined house, she finds herself grieving his promises of a lavish lifestyle. Pedro Costa returns to his shantytown characters with a humane and hopeful eye. The stunning use of chiaroscuro lighting in the claustrophobic interiors, brilliantly composed static shots and a rich...