Twenty years ago, Elena, a young Brazilian actress,
sought success in the bright lights of New York City.
Petra follows in her big sister’s footsteps, searching
the foggy city streets for a connection to her troubled
sibling. She looks for traces of Elena everywhere. Not
only are both women thespians, but they could be
twins. On screen, Petra and Elena merge fluidly, like
water, until one is the other. Acting is the ultimate act
of submersion, a delicate process of losing and finding
yourself in someone else, and filmmaker Petra Costa
captures that spirit completely. Like a pebble hitting the
surface of a pond, when Elena is finally discovered, it
sends out waves of emotion that seem to gain amplitude
the farther they ripple out. Two decades dissolve into
two seconds, and suddenly you’re in the moment, in the
void. Elena is a devastatingly beautiful piece of cinema,
and a transcendent tribute. Angie Driscoll, Hot Docs
In Portuguese and English, with English subtitles.
Media Coverage
Co-presented by BRAFFTV - Brazilian Film and TV Festival