BFI London Film Festival: (Be)longing

BFI London Film Festival: 238 films. From 71 countries. 16 cinemas. 12 days. One Festival.

In Uz, a rural village in northern Portugal, a family of farmers has been working the land for generations. Daniel is a younger member of the family and unlike many his age, who have been attracted away by the appeal of urban life, he has decided to stay. While the village gets ready for its annual fair, Daniel is temporarily distracted from his daily labour by an attractive young woman and the possibility of love and companionship.

Following the cycle of the seasons and the village’s calendar landmarks, first-time director João Pedro Plácido draws warmth and humour with his impressionistic portrait of a young man on the brink of adulthood in a place where family and tradition weigh heavily on one’s life choices. With watchful sensitivity for his subject and a distinctive eye for the beauty of the dramatic landscape around him, Plácido proves himself to be a confident new director.

(Notes by Laure Bonville)

(Be)longing, dir. João Pedro Plácido, Portugal, Switzerland, France 2014, 78min