Aunt Virginia

Fabio Meira's 2023 Brazilian film follows Virgínia, seventy years old. She never married and has no children; her sisters persuaded her to move to another city to care for their parents. The film fits into a single day. Her sisters are coming for a birthday and Virgínia prepares; the narrative sets what has gone unsaid for years inside that visit and questions who took on how much. Vera Holtz leads. The setting is one house and the camera moves between rooms; the dialogue is dense and the ensemble carries the film. The narrative offers no resolution. Who it's for: those who like Brazilian family drama and single-location narrative. Who it's not for: viewers waiting for an event; the film is almost entirely talk.