Portrait of a Certain Orient
(Retrato de um certo oriente)
Fleeing conflict in their homeland, siblings Emilie and Emir depart Lebanon for Brazil, first by ship crossing the Mediterranean and Atlantic and then river boat up the Amazon. Fellow passenger Omar catches Emilie’s eye and, as the two fall madly in love, Emir grows obsessively jealous. Based on a novel by Milton Hatoum, this period migration drama explores themes of memory, belonging, difference, and understanding with subtlety and finesse.