Part of Passports: An International Film Series
PICTURES OF GHOSTS, from acclaimed director Kleber Mendonça Filho (BACURAU, AQUARIUS and NEIGHBORING SOUNDS), is a multidimensional journey through time, sound, architecture and filmmaking, set in the urban landscape of Recife, the Brazilian coastal capital of Pernambuco — a historical and human territory, examined through the great movie theaters that served as spaces of conviviality during the 20th century. Having hosted dreams and progress, these places have also embodied a major transformation on social practices. Combining archive documentary, mystery, film clips and personal memories, PICTURES OF GHOSTS is a map of a city through the lens of cinema.
“An exhilarating documentary... A cleareyed, deeply personal and formally inspired rumination on life, death, family, movies and those complicated, invariably haunted places we call home." —Manohla Dargis, NYT Critic’s Pick, New York Times “Triumphant! As with Godard and Paris, Fellini and Rome, Scorsese and New York, Mendonca Filho is a filmmaker whose craft is deeply intertwined with his love of a city. What a beautiful thing.” —Rafaela Sales Ross, The Playlist "So lovely and alive that, if anything, it only reassures you that movies aren’t going anywhere." —Alison Willmore, Vulture “This nostalgic and melancholy trip is also a celebration. Scored with the energetic tunes of Tom Zé, Sidney Magal, and other Brazilian artists, PICTURES OF GHOSTS is just as enamored with the streets and people surrounding those cinemas as it is with the rooms themselves. Effortlessly flowing through Recife’s 20th century, Filho’s direction gains a joyful rhythm, full of hope and wonder.” —Guilherme Jacobs, IndieWire “A heartfelt love letter to filmmaking and film watching the world over.” —Lee Marshall, Screen Daily
