Little Creatures

(A newly relocated mother with two children is left in limbo in Brasília – the modern city of a newly won democracy – in this prize-winning film from Rio.)

In 1986, Brazil becomes a democracy again after a long military dictatorship. Helena and her family have barely moved into the futuristic capital before her husband disappears on a “business trip.” Left to fend for herself in an unfamiliar city – a sleek dystopia of stone and pastel – she begins to question her life, while her eldest son experiences his first love and the youngest wildly explores fantasy worlds and a new, uncertain friendship. Also in the picture are a run-over dog, an intrusive female neighbor, potential extraterrestrials, a blazing sun, and endlessly stylish car scenes in the spirit of Wim Wenders.

• Freddy Olsson