O Branco

This short film is an exceedingly well executed work--having wonderful cinematography, music and direction. In many ways, it was just breathtakingly beautiful. This really helped in making this simple tale of a very isolated blind boy come to life. While some might find it all a bit saccharine, I was impressed because it didn't make the kid noble or sad--just a normal kid in most ways. One of my own kids is deaf and I truly hate movies that make kids with disabilities seem super-human or sweet--they're just kids. While the boy in this film does seem to accomplish the impossible towards the end of the film, he still is a kid and the film does have a strong emotional impact.

This film was a sharp contrast to the full-length films I've seen in recent years about Brazil (such as CITY OF GOD and CENTRAL DO BRASIL). While in the two films I listed you'd get the impression that the country is a god-forsaken and ugly place, the setting for O BRANCO looked like a clean, safe city that you could find anywhere in the world. It's nice to see a different view of the country.