Christmas 1970, Brazil. The country has been living under a military dictatorship for six years. For the liberal, well-off Paiva family, the political situation feels relatively remote, something heard on the news. Yet everything is about to change… 

A remarkable central performance by Fernanda Torres anchors Walter Salles’ adaptation of Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s memoir. Growing up in Rio de Janeiro, Salles (Central Station, The Motorcycle Diaries) knew the real-life Paivas family and this connection imbues his film with real pathos and texture. In returning to his home country, Salles has crafted an homage to one woman’s spirit and resilience, as well as a beautiful portrait of a family and a nation surviving through unimaginable pain.  

Salles’ deeply invested filmmaking is remarkable in its grace and naturalism. – Jessica Kiang, Variety