The History of Eternity

Camilo Cavalcante's 2014 Brazilian film is set in a small settlement in the arid northeast. Three separate stories are told, all concerned with the limits of desire: a sick woman, a young girl who wants to leave and an abandoned wife. The film does not join these lines. What they share is the place and the belief; the idea of fate stands as an obstacle in each story, and the more the characters try to pass it the tighter they are held. The cinematography is wide and the night scenes stand out. The music is regional and used inside the narrative. Marcélia Cartaxo and Irandhir Santos are in the cast; the playing is measured and the dialogue sparse. Who it's for: those who like Brazilian regional cinema and poetic narrative. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a plot that ties together; the film leaves its three stories apart.