Maria Mire directs this innovative documentary about Margarida Tengarrinha, a member of the Portuguese Communist Party during António de Oliveira Salazar's premiership.
In a blend of naturalistic intensity and expressionistic surrealism, Maria Mire’s Clandestina retells the life of Margarida Tengarrinha (Kim Ostrowskij), an active member of the Portuguese Communist Party in the 1950s under an authoritarian dictatorship. Mire builds the film around this character, who is defined by her identity as a woman, mother and individual in hiding from security agencies while forging documents and writing for the party’s magazine. The story is absorbed in her repetitive, restrictive daily tasks, narrated throughout the film by Ostrowskij as she recounts the events following a promotion within the communist party.
Yet for the film’s focus on the mundanity of a restricted life, there is an overarching lack of authenticity from distancing Tengarrinha’s character from her politics. It can be argued that she is an inherently political figure, with her opposition to Portugal’s dictatorship and allegiance to the communist party, but the film shies away from these controversial conversations and focuses on the isolated experiences of a woman in hiding. The film may not be lacking in emotion – Tengarrinha’s emotions are portrayed through the combination of realism and surrealism – but this ultimately comes across as disconnected due to the lack of political contextualisation, leaving an emotional weight missing from the film.
Published 20 Aug 2024
Don’t know much about the subject going in, but excited to learn.
Captivating visual elements and an interesting story.
Lots of interesting techniques but lacks emotional depth and fails to do Tengarrinha’s story justice.
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