Synopsis

A mesmerizing, elliptical vision of declining colonial enterprise and imperialist corruption, Pacifiction swelters and sways in the heat of its Tahitian setting. France’s top man in the region, De Roller (Benoît Magimel) is an affable chameleon-like operator, equally adept at schmoozing with the indigenous population and navigating the political machinery of his home country. He’s lately become paranoid, as the mood on the island is shifting amid rumors of military destruction and gentrification. As he drifts through his days, attempting to keep everyone—himself included—on an even keel, tensions continue to rise. A film of mysterious, uncommon power.

Synopsis

Gentle and soft-spoken, Paloma is a transgender woman living a peaceful life in rural Brazil with her loving boyfriend Zé and her young daughter. She picks fruit at a papaya farm in the hopes of saving enough money to have a traditional church wedding, the one thing that will complete her happiness. The local priest’s refusal to marry the couple only fuels Paloma’s determination to realize her dream—but she soon comes face-to-face with the prejudices of her conservative community. No amount of injustice, betrayal, or violence will shake her faith and pride in her family, and in herself. Last at the Festival with his award-winning 2019 documentary Waiting for the Carnival, filmmaker Marcelo Gomes paints an intimate portrait of trans joy and resilience.

Winner

58th Chicago International Film Festival Silver Q-Hugo. Learn more…