A Venezuelan woman immigrating into Brazil uses one of her natural motherly attributes to help another young couple in the subtitled road movie short SEIVA BRUTA – UNDER THE HEAVENS.
Marta (Samantha Castillo) has entered the country and is travelling by any means possible to reach Manaus. The roads are treacherous and a gun-toting driver shows no mercy to fellow travellers Jorge (Abilio Torres) and Alice (Brenda Moreno), whose child is suffering in the conditions. Marta agrees to help pay for their trip and also comes to the aid of the child by breastfeeding it the kid herself.
However, at a night stop-over, the three of them suddenly reveal a few uncomfortable realities…
Writer/director Gustavo Milan’s atmospheric and powerful short encapsulates the essence of motherly spirit and the hardships that people encounter making a transition in the rural world. The dampened humidity of the Brazilian continent is framed impeccably by cinematographer Lasse Ulvedal Tolboll.
Check out some behind the scenes stills here:
About the Film-maker:
Gustavo Milan is a Brazilian based in New York City. He is currently attending the Graduate Film Program at NYU/Tisch.
Director Statement:
“Seiva Bruta – Under the Heavens is about the pain of abandonment, and how the current political crisis in Venezuela has strongly impacted the structure and stability of Venezuelan families.
This film is a result of a long field research, where we were able to travel to the border of Brazil with Venezuela and listen to the people facing such difficulties. Only after that we felt authorized to write a story that reflects such reality.
Although these researches served us as a starting point to the development of the script, they also greatly affected the way we visually conceived the film. As an example, the decision to shoot in 16mm was intrinsically connected with the theme of motherhood. The unique and nostalgic look of the 16mm film helped us to enhance the emotional state of the characters, mainly the lead (Marta). A deep sense of loss and absence was then brought into the story.
“Seiva Bruta” could be literally translated to “Raw Sap“, meaning the white vital fluid that runs inside every plant.
Thank you for your consideration.”
