The writer Pia and the painter Gil live by the Rio Negro deep in the Amazon jungle. One night, during a lunar eclipse, Pia is murdered. Her death plunges Gil into a world of shadows. He leaves the town by the river and does not return to the house he shared with Pia until two years later. There, Pia is present in the flood of memories that keep coming back to him, and also lives on deep in his heart. This love, the comfort it brings him, and the girl Elsa lead him out of the darkness and back into the light, back to life. And he will meet Pia's murderer. 'Eclipse' is a love story set against the background of a crime: compelling, poetic, and delicately told.
Cinematography
The Amazon breathes—every frame drips with water and longing.
Score
Minimalist soundscape that lets the jungle compose itself.
Acting
Nachtergaele's silence speaks louder than any monologue.
Director
Herbert Brödl
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Herbert Brödl was a German documentarian who fell in love with Brazil; this is his only fiction feature, shot entirely on location with local non-actors mixed with professionals.
The eclipse itself was real—Brödl rewrote the schedule when astronomers confirmed one would occur during shooting, turning cosmic accident into narrative spine.
BR
