Shine Your Eyes

Matias Mariani's 2020 film follows Amadi, a Nigerian musician who travels to São Paulo to find his brother. The family believe the brother teaches at a university. When Amadi arrives, the situation turns out otherwise. His brother has built an entirely different life and left behind notebooks full of numbers; the narrative builds the search like a mystery while delivering it through migration and family expectation. OC Ukeje leads. The film moves between English, Igbo and Portuguese. The city is shot through a stranger's eye. Who it's for: those who like migration narratives and slow mysteries. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a clear resolution; the film leaves the question open.