Five maids in São Paulo are observed in this episodic, impressionistic film. The women interact with each other, ride busses, work, and have longings: Rai for a husband, Créo for her lost daughter, Roxane for a career in modeling. Quitéria is naive, a gull for thieves. Cida has a husband and also a lover. While each woman gets what she wishes for (more or less), it doesn't always make things better.
Direction
Meirelles' kinetic eye already forming—bus scenes are pure electricity.
Acting
Five lived-in performances, no weak links, all heartbreakingly specific.
Cinematography
São Paulo as character—claustrophobic, expansive, utterly alive.
Director
Nando Olival
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Fernando Meirelles' feature debut—he'd explode globally two years later with City of God's favela warfare.
The episodic structure mirrors Brazilian 'trash cinema' tradition but elevates it—think Pixote's social realism meets Altman's Nashville.
BR
