Bethania, a woman who has both black and white ancestry, returns to her families farm. Between photos, fantastic creatures, bills to pay, workers claiming their rights over the land, sounds and memories of the old manor house, Bethania faces herself in a present where past and future are both threatening. AÇÚCAR is set in a universe of magic realism that crosses the personal story of Bethania with the identity formation of a country that is modern and archaic, contemporary and ancestral, white and black. Bethania represents a segment of Brazilian society that has not fully accepted the end of slavery and harbors prejudices against the black population. However, her awakening to her own origins is brought about by Afro-Brazilian cultural and religious manifestations, which challenge her worldview and force her to confront her own biases. Directors Sérgio Oliveira and Renata Pinheiro skillfully use hallucinatory dream sequences to highlight the contradictions and conflicts that still tear Brazilian society apart. The film explores the dichotomy between landlords and slaves, rich and poor, white and black, high culture and popular culture, reality and imagination, reflecting a long-standing social malady that the country continues to suffer from.
Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantaisie
1h 30min
16+
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The estate of a wealthy family in Brazils costal region becomes a microcosm that represents the ethnic, social and cultural divide in the country.
Bethania, a woman who has both black and white ancestry, returns to her families farm. Between photos, fantastic creatures, bills to pay, workers claiming their rights over the land, sounds and memories of the old manor house, Bethania faces herself in a present where past and future are both threatening. AÇÚCAR is set in a universe of magic realism that crosses the personal story of Bethania with the identity formation of a country that is modern and archaic, contemporary and ancestral, white and black.
Bethania represents a segment of Brazilian society that has not fully accepted the end of slavery and harbors prejudices against the black population. However, her awakening to her own origins is brought about by Afro-Brazilian cultural and religious manifestations, which challenge her worldview and force her to confront her own biases.
Directors Sérgio Oliveira and Renata Pinheiro skillfully use hallucinatory dream sequences to highlight the contradictions and conflicts that still tear Brazilian society apart. The film explores the dichotomy between landlords and slaves, rich and poor, white and black, high culture and popular culture, reality and imagination, reflecting a long-standing social malady that the country continues to suffer from.