Watch Vitalina Varela

Vitalina Varela is a 2019 Portuguese drama film directed by Pedro Costa starring Vitalina Varela as herself, alongside Ventura and Manuel Tavares Almeida. The movie premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival where it received the Critics Award. The movie follows the story of a Cape Verdean woman named Vitalina Varela who arrives in Lisbon three days after her husband's death. She was separated from her husband for over 25 years and had always planned to move to Portugal to finally be with him. However, she arrives to find that he has died and she has missed his funeral. Vitalina's initial shock and grief soon turn into a journey of self-discovery as she reflects on her life back home and the dream that she had held onto for years.

The film is a slow-burning and meditative study of grief, memory, and the immigrant experience. Vitalina navigates the empty and dilapidated apartments of her late husband's world, trying to make sense of the life he had built without her. As Vitalina comes to grips with her new reality, she is also forced to confront the haunting memories of her past. Through her discussions with Ventura, a local priest and friend of her late husband, we see the struggles and hardships faced by Cape Verdean immigrants in Portugal.

Director Pedro Costa captures the haunting essence of Vitalina's journey through the use of the Mafra Palace as the film's backdrop. The palace is a baroque monument that is used to great effect to contrast both Vitalina's own brutal reality and that of the decaying environment around her. The cinematography is mesmerizing, with the film's darkness, shadows, and occasional flashes of bright light lending an almost surreal quality to the movie.

At its heart, Vitalina Varela is a movie about longing and loss. Vitalina longs for the life that she thinks she could have had with her husband, but is unable to achieve it because of his death. She also longs to find a sense of home, but is constantly reminded that Portugal is not a place of welcome for outsiders like herself. Her story is told without sentimentality, yet remains powerfully affecting.

The movie succeeds in large part due to the performance of Vitalina Varela herself, a fascinating figure who brings the weight of her own experiences to the role. Her presence on screen is commanding, and she conveys the character's strength and vulnerability with a deep sense of authenticity. The supporting cast is equally impressive, with Manuel Tavares Almeida's performance as Vitalina's husband being especially poignant.

In conclusion, Vitalina Varela is a movie that is not easily forgotten. It is a testament to the power of storytelling, to the ability of film to evoke empathy and emotion, and to the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit. Costa has crafted a masterpiece that transcends language and culture, and that is sure to be remembered for years to come.

Vitalina Varela is a 2020 drama with a runtime of 2 hours and 4 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.8 and a MetaScore of 86.