Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

In São Paulo, Baby is a guitar teacher in her forties living a monotonous life in a cramped flat. Her only companion is cigarettes. She is in a constant fight with her two sisters, and the fight is about a couch left to them by their aunt. When Max, a musician who plays in restaurants, moves into the flat next door, Baby thinks she can build a life again and decides to quit smoking. Anna Muylaert wrote and directed the film, mixing loneliness and addiction with comedy; Baby's effort to give up cigarettes and her effort to hold on to Max stand there as two versions of the same thing. Glória Pires plays Baby and Paulo Miklos plays Max. The film took eight prizes at the Brasília Film Festival in 2009, including best film, best actress and best screenplay, and the following year was named best film and best director at the Grande Prêmio do Cinema Brasileiro.