MOISTURE by Duda Gorter is a very well done experimental film.

 

It deals with a very near future. We are in Brazil: In a gray city where religious sects and rats live on the prowl. It rains non-stop.

 

Water in its many forms is the protagonist like the actors and allows the audience to connect with the emotional state with which the director wants to deal.

 

The slow pace of the editing lets the intimate atmosphere of the film captivate the viewer. Of course the film is aimed at a select audience, not the mainstream one, and that is a quality of this film.

 

The alternation between a more linear narrative language and an experimental one helps convey the emotional journey of the main character. The entire narrative is built on symbols and metaphors.

 

The cinematic language is sustained by a refined cinematography signed by Mustapha Barat and Jacques Cheuiche. The camera movements, compositions and frames are elegant and studied. Underwater and drone shots make the filmic aesthetic richer.Blue and red are the dominant colors in the palette of this film, even in the costumes and set design.

 

The screenplay is essential, with dry and effective dialogues, interpreted very well by the main actresses and the actors. The acting is a very strong aspect of this film. In particular, Patricia Niedermeier's performance is always believable and intense. The actress is very skilled in creating a strong sense of waiting and suspension that underlies the entire film.But supporting actresses and the actor Ana Barroso, Maria Adélia and Jose Karini are also very well chosen and well directed.

 

Another positive feature of the film is Bruno Armelin's sound design. With very effective effects it is almost capable of giving us an immersive experience.Many congratulations Duda Gorter who directed this well done short film.

 

Duda Gorter is a Brazil based filmmaker and storyteller known for her passionate commitment to independent cinema.

Of her filmography we can mention:

Francamente...(Frankly...), 2003, Screenplay/Director 


Na Madrugada (Journey into Night), 2008, Screenplay/Director – Short Film Corner - Cannes 2009 


Fantasia Improviso - 1 Movimento (Fantasie Impromptu - A prologue), 2016, Screenplay Director - Short Film Corner - Cannes 2016

 

MOISTURE won as Best experimental film Amsterdam New Cinema Film Festival December 2024 Monthly Competition