Three Summers

Mada is never without her mobile phone. The family she works for loves her and depends on her to organise their lives and the lives of her own personal staff so that all runs smoothly. Mada does, however, find time to work her own angle – she is in the process of trying to get her boss, Mr Edgar, to fund a roadside kiosk for her so that she can have her own little side business. Trouble is Mr Edgar can’t fund anything anymore. He can’t even pay the staff salaries and is about to go to jail for embezzlement with his wife and son fleeing to LA.

By the second Summer and the second Christmas, Mada and her staff find themselves alone in the house with no wages. A call from Mr Edgar’s lawyer via Zoom does not give them much confidence that the wages will ever be paid and so they begin to sell off household items one by one whilst enjoying the luxurious bedrooms and the swimming pool. Eventually, it is Mr Edgars father, who saves the day and thanks Mada, who has looked after him throughout, by leaving her an apartment of her very own.

Starring Regina Case and Rogerio Froes, the film is a gentle take on Brazil’s ongoing social revolution.

By Renee Lou Dallow