HORSE MONEY

Director Pedro Costa / 2014 / Portugal

"A striking achievement … at once confounding, disquieting, stimulating and hugely emotional." – Slant

Wandering through the dark passageways of an abandoned hospital in Lisbon, a Cape Verdean immigrant (Pedro Costa regular Ventura) is confronted by events and figures from his past. Loitering in the shadows are spectres of families; of confrontations with soldiers; of revolution.

Pedro Costa (Colossal Youth, MIFF 2006) is renowned for his intense, visually striking explorations of displacement and colonialism, receiving particular acclaim for the films he made in the now demolished shantytown of Fontainhas. In Horse Money, his camera is absorbed by the unforgettable face of Ventura, as he submerges himself in a dreamlike blend of memory and visions.

Winner of the Best Director award at the 2014 Locarno Film Festival.

"These are not just the most beautiful images here in Locarno, but some of the most stunning of all I've seen in cinema – each shot its own complete world of depth and feeling." – MUBI Notebook

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