Aquarius

January 29, 2016 · Knoxville Museum of Art · 2:00 p.m.

Need a reminder? Like the event on Facebook

In Aquarius, acclaimed Brazilian writer-director Kleber Mendonça Filho examines the alienating effects of urban over-development in Recife, a Brazilian oceanfront city. Sônia Braga stars as Clara, a vibrant former music critic, avid swimmer, grandmother, cancer survivor, willing lover, and widow. She is the only remaining apartment owner in a gracious older building targeted for demolition by ruthless luxury high-rise developers. As the builders’ tactics to remove Clara become increasingly hostile, Clara proves a force to be reckoned with.

Mendonça Filho critiques life in contemporary Brazil, ranging from issues of social class, to the mistrust of government, to ageism, nepotism, and corporate corruption, while looking fondly at the music, the places and the objects that we come to cherish in a very personal way. In Aquarius, this history is encapsulated in a dwelling that has been a silent witness to a woman’s entire life.

“Braga gives a regal, imperious performance that’s sometime slightly over the top, but it’s impossible turn away from her: Whenever she tosses that dark, lustrous, magnificent mane of hair, she’s never less than magnetic.” — Time

“This is a film in which an old woman will look at a nondescript wooden cabinet and remember the hot, hot sex she had atop it as a twentysomething. The quiet presentation of an old book can lead to an intense surge of feeling… At the center of this emotional maelstrom is the 65-year-old Braga, herself a living legend and bridge to the past. In a long film of many turns, her performance — weathered, proud, sensuous, fragile — captivates and brings us into her world.” — The Village Voice

About the Filmmaker

Kleber Mendonça Filho was born in Recife, Brazil. He earned a degree in journalism from Recife’s Federal University of Pernambuco and began his career as a film critic. Mendonça’s previous feature, Neighboring Sounds, was one of the most critically acclaimed debuts of 2012.