Hard Labor

Cast

Producers: Sara Silveira, Maria Ionescu. Cast: Helena Albergaria, Marat Descartes, Naloana Lima, Marina Flores, Gilda Nomacce.

Synopsis

Young housewife Helena is on the verge of fulfilling a dream as she prepares to open her own business: a neighborhood grocery store. She hires a maid, Paula, to take care of her house and daughter. But when her husband Otavio is suddenly fired from his job as an insurance executive, Helena is left to support the family alone. As Otavio fails to find work and becomes increasingly alienated, business struggles to take off and the pressure on Helena mounts. To make things worse, she discovers that one of the building\\\'s brick walls seems to be crumbling. Helena begins to wonder if that may be the cause of all her problems.

Awards

• Lima Film Festival 2011, Award for Best Actress, Peru.
• Santa Maria da Feira Festival 2011, Award for Best Actor, Portugal.
• Sitges International Film Festival 2011, Citizen Kane Award to an Upcoming Director, Spain.
• Moscow International Film Festival 2011, Best Screenplay Award, Russia.

Director's Bio

Juliana Rojas and Marco Dutra studied at the São Paulo University’s Film School. Their graduation short film O lençol branco / The White Sheet was shown in many festivals around the world, including the Cinéfondation Selection in Cannes 2005. Their second short, Um Ramo / A Stem, was selected for the International Critic’s Week in Cannes 2007, and won the Discovery Award for Best Short Film. They also directed the awarded short films Concerto número Três / Concert Number Three, Vestida / Dressed and As sombras / The Shadows. They work as screenwriters and editors in São Paulo. Both are members of Filmes do Caixote, a group of several young directors from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro producing collectively. Trabalhar Cansa / Hard Labor is their first feature film, and it was part of the Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival last year. They\\\'re now in preparation for their new film: As Boas Maneiras / Good Manners.