EN: The Boat
PT: O barco
(Brazil, 2024, 17 min)
An isolated island, a teenager, and her mother. A boat docks at the pier, bringing promises and desires. Against her mother’s wishes, the girl sets off to explore the world, and a few years later, she returns with passions and memories in her baggage. The film delves into rites of passage and the inherent transformations of life.
Cast & Crew:
Director: Rodolpho Pinotti
Writer: Luís Alberto de Abreu
Cinematography: Marcelo Magano
Music: Charles Raszl
Editing: Tom Butcher Cury
Set Designer and Animator: Primo Augusto Gerbelli
Art Director: Diana Gerbelli
Producer: Diana Gerbelli
Production company: Centopeia Piá (www.centopeiapia.com.br)
Director’s statement (excerpt):
The story is deeply personal yet universally resonant. It is inspired by the idea that life is a series of departures and returns, each shaping us in ways we cannot foresee. The mother, the daughter, and the granddaughter represent different stages of life, each grappling with their own transitions. The boat, a recurring symbol, becomes a metaphor for the passage of time and the journeys we all must undertake, ready or not.
As a director, I was drawn to the simplicity and depth of this narrative. The absence of dialogue allows the visuals, the music, and the tactile quality of the stop-motion animation to carry the emotional weight of the story. The film’s aesthetic is inspired by the serene yet haunting landscapes of Brazilian painter José Pancetti and the contemplative cinema of Yasujiro Ozu. The vastness of the dunes, the sea, and the sky mirrors the internal landscapes of the characters, emphasizing their isolation and their connection to the natural world.
The meticulous process of animating frame by frame mirrors the laborious yet beautiful process of growth and transformation. The use of wool elements in the characters and sets adds a layer of warmth and texture. Additionally, the felting technique, with its organic and meditative process, reflects the themes of the film—creation, transformation, and the passage of time.
Screenings:
Igreja de São Sebastião, 15 December 2024, 14h30 (Animation à la carte session)
Cinema Charlot, 29 December 2024, 16h00 (Award ceremony)
Why was it selected:
The quality of this stop motion, bt This animation won our “Glad I Came!” audience award for Best Featurette.