In Pedro Pinho's latest film, an expatriate Portuguese project engineer named Sérgio finds himself in Guinea-Bissau, facing the intricate dynamics of a post-colonial setting. An interlocutor states to him, "What sickens me the most are good men," a statement that gets to the core of the movie's central inquiry into western paternalism and hypocrisy.
A Conduit for Eavesdropping
His uncommitted status allows him to be the perfect witness of postcolonial relations. The story revolves around a debated infrastructure project, with locals at odds over whether it represents development or an environmental blight. These discussions are amplified by themes of poverty, corruption, and violence, hinted at by the mysterious disappearance of Sérgio's predecessor.
"Scruples are a luxury," market hustler Diara admonishes Sérgio, highlighting the practical compromises that govern life in a complicated socio-economic context.
Blurred Boundaries and Personal Politics
Sérgio's interactions involve a gender-nonconforming group centered around a local bar, a environment presented as a inclusive haven. Yet, his dalliances is viewed as paralleling a deeper noncommittal nature to life and his position within these social spheres. He operates in multiple spaces, belonging to neither.
This cinematic work's long, talk-heavy exchanges forego the economical imagery of certain directors, but they create a unvarnished and authentically human quality. By way of these sprawling discussions, Pinho interrogates not just the postcolonial context, but also his own implication as an observer.
A Jarring Finale
The film continually fumbles for its own position on weighty economic and racial issues. This quest reaches its peak in a final intimate scene where Sérgio finds himself caught in the center, embodying his perpetual condition of uncertainty. Regardless of this lack of clear answers, the director's central thesis stands firm: individual experience is profoundly a matter of politics.
