Life is inevitably subjected to change, and how we perceive the places we grew up in can be significantly influenced not only by physical alterations in these environments but also by how our perspectives evolve. This concept was aptly embodied by the late, great filmmaker, Orson Welles, who wished to create a film centred on his experience producing the play "The Cradle Will Rock" in New York, yet felt detached from the city he used to live in. Similarly, I often find it difficult to identify with the Manhattan I once called home, as the elements that made it familiar to me have slowly faded away.
Echoing this sentiment is the Brazilian filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho, who presents an intimate understanding of this sense of altered familiarity in his intricate film, "Pictures of Ghosts." While his hometown of Recife might not be as renowned in North American conversations as Rio or San Paolo, Filho successfully foregrounds this major metropolis' significance in a country that is, overwhelmingly, larger than the contiguous United States.
Known internationally for his audacious 2019 quasi-Western, “Bacarau”, Filho's other works primarily revolve around Recife, with some even filmed in his childhood apartment. His documentary divides into three sections, the first focusing on his childhood home, his strong bond towards his mother - a political activist who shaped his conscience, and various aspects of his filmmaking journey.
Anecdotes take the centerstage as Filho reminisces about neighbourhood moments such as the often-disturbing barking of a dog named Nico. This sense of ghostly nostalgia is poignantly portrayed when an echo of Nico's bark is heard again on national television, during the screening of Filho's film, "Neighboring Sounds."
The eponymous "ghosts" appear in various forms – an ectoplasmic figure in a picture taken around the neighbourhood, a glitchy movie marquee during analogue film transfer leading to the second part. This part takes the audience through Recife's film culture, which includes now-closed movie theaters, one of which was once used to disseminate Nazi propaganda in the 30s.
In an intriguing mix of nostalgia and subtle critique, Filho interviews Alexandre Moura, a projectionist who screened “The Godfather” in a single theater for an entire month. A melancholic affinity towards past memories is evident as Filho likens cinema and church, especially if a theater was built on a church's grounds, like the São Luiz theater, which still stands today.
To wrap up his filmed love letter to Recife, Filho includes a fictionalized scene where he shares that he manages a movie theater – an intriguing revelation that paints an intimate picture of the director's profound bond to his city and cinema. "Pictures of Ghosts" is indeed a heartfelt tribute, beautifully encapsulating a filmmaker's nostalgic journey through changing times.%
Glenn Kenny, a renowned film critic, has had his works featured in numerous publications. He is a resident of Brooklyn. Check out Kenny's responses to our Movie Love Questionnaire here.
