Casa de Lava (literally, House of Lava), Pedro Costa’s second feature, is a moody, volatile examination of the legacy of colonialism and the European slave trade in Africa. It begins in eerie silence at night: a messy, phantasmagoric red glow appears in a wash of voluminous dark—a vacant landscape. Creeping in, daylight provides topographical context […]

The opening credits of Rio 40 Graus—literally, Rio, 40°C—are superimposed on a plethora of dynamic activity in Rio de Janeiro telescoping characters and situations in the film to follow. The first shot of the film proper, the brilliant first feature by writer-director Nelson Pereira dos Santos, is, ironically, a touristy insert: the statue of Jesus […]