I admit it. I haven't seen a lot of Brazilian cinema. Beyond "City of God," I can't think of another film. This is why I was excited to see "The Second Mother" at this year's Seattle International Film Festival. Focused on a live-in housekeeper, we watch as she tries to balance her adopted role in the home where she works and lives with the daughter whom she left behind to provide a better life. When the estranged daughter is introduced into her world, things naturally get complicated. As the story progresses, the mother's sense of duty and obligation is tested with pretty emotional results. For me, it was a ride worth taking. It also stirred within me a desire to dig deeper into cinema from South America, which is probably a win on all fronts.
Thanks for entering my world,
-Nathan