MOVIE

Elena

3.3
(47)
Rating
NRT
Duration
1h 20m
Year
2012
Language
English

About

Elena, a young Brazilian woman, travels to New York with the same dream as her mother, to become a movie actress. She leaves behind her childhood spent in hiding during the years of the military dictatorship. She also leaves Petra, her seven year old sister. Two decades later, Petra also becomes an actress and goes to New York in search of Elena. She only has a few clues about her: home movies, newspaper clippings, a diary and letters. At any moment Petra hopes to find Elena walking in the streets in a silk blouse. Gradually, the features of the two sisters are confused; we no longer know one from the other. When Petra finally finds Elena in an unexpected place, she has to learn to let her go.

Related Subjects

Reviews

"This haunting and dreamlike cinematic essay is filmmaking at its most personal."
The Hollywood Reporter
"A type of cinematic performance art, with all the self-consciousness that suggests - a sibling love story that's no less heartfelt for being in the form of a first-person poem."
Los Angeles Times
"Mysterious and hermetic, this memoir is a collage of home movies, photographs, audio recordings and lyrical narration that reframes a troubled family history through a heartbroken lens."
The Wall Street Journal

Extended Details

  • Closed CaptionsEnglish

    Artists