In Pedro Pinho's latest film, an expatriate Portuguese project engineer called Sérgio finds himself in Guinea-Bissau, confronting the complex relationships of a post-colonial context. A sex worker states to him, "What repulses me the most are good men," a remark that pierces the core of the movie's key investigation into western condescension and double standards.
A Conduit for Listening In
The protagonist's uncommitted position makes him the perfect observer of the aftermath of colonialism. The narrative revolves around a debated infrastructure project, with residents at odds over whether it represents economic progress or an environmental curse. These debates are intensified by issues of destitution, corruption, and brutality, referenced by the unexplained vanishing of Sérgio's the engineer before him.
"Scruples are a privilege," market hustler Diara admonishes Sérgio, highlighting the practical realities that define life in a complex socio-economic context.
Shifting Identities and Personal Politics
The protagonist's relationships include a LGBTQ+ group centered around a local bar, a microcosm presented as a welcoming community. However, his dalliances is interpreted as paralleling a deeper detached nature to life and his position within these communities. He lives in multiple spaces, belonging to neither one.
The film's lengthy, dialogue-driven scenes do not possess the visual concision of some contemporaries, but they generate a organic and authentically human feeling. Through these sprawling discussions, Pinho examines not just the situation, but also the filmmaker's own involvement as an onlooker.
A Jarring Ending
The narrative persistently grapples for its moral footing on pressing economic and racial questions. This quest culminates in a last intimate scene where Sérgio once again stuck in the center, representing his ongoing state of ambivalence. Regardless of this doubt, the film's underlying point remains: private life is inextricably a matter of politics.