Vida de Menina

Based on the journals of teenager Alicia Brant (aka Helena Morley), who lived in Diamantina, Brazil, after the once rich diamond veins were practically exhausted in the late 19th century. Her father's insistence on looking for the precious stone caused his family to live in perpetual poverty. The film is a sweet, if not too profound, piece about coming of age, family relationships and the importance of being true to one's self. "Vida de Menina" provides some beautiful shots of historic Diamantina (recently declared a UNESCO world heritage site) and surroundings, and nice acting especially by the protagonist (Ludmila Dayer) and Daniela Escobar.