''This Side of Resurrection'' ( pt, Deste Lado da Ressurreição) is a Portuguese independent drama film written and directed by

Joaquim Sapinho Joaquim Sapinho (born 1965 at Sabugal, Portugal) is a Portuguese film director. Founder of production company Rosa Filmes, he is considered to be part of ''The School of Reis'' film family. Career Joaquim Sapinho was a student at the Portugues ...

. It was produced by the independent production company Rosa Filmes and had its world premiere at the 2011 edition of the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...

as part of the ''Visions'' programme.Infos at rosafilmes.pt
click on "''ENG''", then on "''DIRECTORS''", then on "''JOAQUIM SAPINHO''", then on "''2011 - THIS SIDE OF RESURRECTION''"

Release and reception

The film had its world premiere in the official selection of the 2011 edition of the

, as part of the ''Visions'' programme. It was also presented as the official selection of the 2011 edition of the

São Paulo International Film Festival The São Paulo International Film Festival ( pt, Mostra Internacional de Cinema de São Paulo), also known internationally as Mostra, is an annual film festival held in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. A non-profit event, the festival is organized ...

. An American premiere took place at the

Harvard Film Archive The Harvard Film Archive (HFA) is a film archive and cinema located in the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dedicated to the collection, preservation and exhibition of film, the HFA houses a c ...

, followed by the

Anthology Film Archives Anthology Film Archives is an international center for the preservation, study, and exhibition of film and video, with a particular focus on independent, experimental, and avant-garde cinema.The School of Reis The School of Reis is a film theory concept relative to the teachings of Portuguese director António Reis, to his work, conceived with his wife Margarida Cordeiro, and to the works of the directors influenced by theirs. It is a pun on the surname o ...

'' program.

Plot

The film tells the story of a sister and a brother, Inês and Rafael. Since the divorce of their parents, their family hasn't seen Rafael. Inês runs away from home looking for Rafael, only to find out that he is at

Guincho Beach Praia do Guincho (English: Guincho Beach) is an Atlantic beach located on Portugal's Estoril coast, 5 km from the town of Cascais, and is located in the municipality of Cascais, more precisely in the parishes of Cascais and Alcabideche, in th ...

, surfing. Rafael is a former surf champion who tests the limits of his life every day by seeking out the most dangerous waves. When the two siblings meet, Guincho makes them come together in a promise of paradise on earth, as it is the last place where their family lived happily together. But Inês is surprised one day when she finds her brother looking fixedly to the

Serra de Sintra The Sintra Mountains ( pt, Serra de Sintra), is a mountain range in western Portugal. Its highest point is at 529 meters (1,736 ft) near Sintra. The range covers about 16 kilometers (10 mi) from the resort town of Sintra to ''(Cape R ...

mountain range, where the

Convent of the Capuchos The Convent of the Friars Minor Capuchin, popularly known as the ''Convent of the Capuchos'' ( pt, Convento dos Capuchos), but officially the ''Convento de Santa Cruz da Serra da Sintra'' ("Convent of the Holy Cross of the Sintra Mountains"), i ...

was once his refuge. She fears that she has brought him back memories of their parents' separation. Rafael is in a crisis of faith. When one day he disappears, Inês knows he has gone back to the convent, and she starts doing what she can to bring him back to her. Convento-dos-Capuchos Refeitorio 17-08-08

Convento-dos-Capuchos Refeitorio 17-08-08

Cast and characters

* Pedro Sousa as Rafael * Joana Barata as Inês * Sofia Grilo as 'the mother * Pedro Carmo as 'brother Simão * Luís Castro as brother Lucas * João Cardoso as João * Mariana Pacheco as Mariana

References

External links

*
''This Side of Resurrection''
at the Toronto International Film Festival web site

at the Harvard Film Archive
''This Side of Resurrection''
at the São Paulo International Film Festival web site
Rosa Filmes' ''This Side of Resurrection''
official web page at the Rosa Filmes web site
''This Side of Resurrection''
at MUBI {{DEFAULTSORT:This Side Of Resurrection 2011 films Portuguese drama films 2010s Portuguese-language films Films directed by Joaquim Sapinho Films set in Portugal Films about Christianity