Name: Pele
Genre: Drama
Released: 2006-05-04
Duration: 1 h 40 min
Rating: 5.4
Cast: Daniela Costa, Francisco Nascimento, Manuel Wiborg

Pele (which means skin in Portuguese) is a movie about a young mulatto woman that in spite of being rich, beautiful and intelligent, feels discriminated because of the colour of her skin. The entire plot is in the early 70's, when Portugal had a dictatorial government, ultramarine territories and lots of racism in its society Issues like racism, female condition and the spoilt lives of the high-society are the main themes of this movie. 

Olga (Daniela Costa) is a rich young woman that is studying medicine and lives surrounded by wealth in a great house with a pool, family's driver, many employees She's living with the wife of her father, who raised her as her own child in spite of not being her real mother Her real mother was her father's mistress! He's still living in Angola (at this time an ultramarine Portuguese territory) where he met Olga's mother. After Olga was born, he sent her to Portugal and never saw her again But he will return and the relation between him and his daughter will not be easy 

The film is a bit slow and the actors' performance is not one of the best I have seen in Portuguese cinema for the last few years. In fact, I think Portuguese actors have improved their performances in the last years  we can see that in many recent Portuguese films  but, in my opinion, is not the case of this one! However, globally, the movie is not so bad, because the plot is interesting and the original idea too.

Portuguese-language cinema, spanning Portugal, Brazil, and other Lusophone regions, focuses on history, cultural identity, and the struggles of ordinary people, often framed with poetic or allegorical storytelling. In Portugal, cinema has emphasized meditative pacing and philosophical depth, reflecting on memory and tradition. In Brazil, it has often been politically charged and socially vibrant, highlighting inequality and resilience while experimenting with popular and avant-garde forms.

Alexandre Rodrigues in City of God (2002)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

Instituto do Cinema, Audiovisual e Multimédia (ICAM)

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Pele

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