This year in Sodankylä, there are two exceptionally evocative essays on movie madness. This first one is about the importance of movie theatres; it is directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, a Brazilian who has become one of Latin America’s leading directors. His portfolio includes Neighbouring Sounds (2012) and Aquarius (2016), which provided skilful analysis of the environment, buildings, and social disparities in his hometown of Recife.
The main focus of this largely autobiographical documentary, Pictures of Ghosts, is on Mendonça Filho’s relationships with his family, home, and local cinemas – which back in the day were real palaces. Skilfully he merges the personal with the universal: the fourth largest city in the country, located on the coast of eastern Brazil, is shown in all its transformation, both in terms of architecture and social impact.
Pictures of Ghosts is an exceptionally creative and layered documentary that, after screenings at major festivals such as Cannes, Toronto, and New York, was even selected to be Brazil’s Oscar submission. Managing to avoid sentimental nostalgia, Mendonça Filho takes us on a spirited journey through time into the mindscape of our lost shared experiences – and reminds us how so many of the world’s empty cinemas have suffered a similar fate.
Timo Malmi