Area Q
The ET of Quixadá
Brazilian cinema, as well as culture of that country in general, has always struggled against immense difficulties to maintain itself, either by censorship of the dictatorship period, or by the eternal lack of resources, and even worse today, with the government’s aversion of a certain crazy captain. Nevertheless, there are world’s recognized movies of excellent quality. One of these good examples is the film “Area Q” (“Área Q”, BRA/USA, 2011), which I consider original and imaginative.
In recent decades, Brazilian cinema has oscillated between televise comedies, police stories and some productions directed to Spiritist audience. “Area Q” managed to escape all these stereotypes, bringing to the screens a story originated from the traditions of Northeast region, and still leave more doubts than answers – which is very good!
At the beginning of the film the viewer follows the life of João Batista (Murilo Rosa), a humble farmer from Quixadá, in the interior of Ceará. One day, John is carried by a strange light, disappearing for a week. Upon returning, he seems to have acquired strange powers, and ends up disappearing for good, although everybody believe that he is alive and some have claimed that he has become a saint.
Thirty years later, Thomas Matthews (Isaiah Washington), an American journalist, is sent to Quixadá to investigate paranormal phenomena that happen in the region, possibly linked to UFOs, with reports of lights, apparitions and abduction of persons.
Thomas comes from a personal drama, as his only son disappeared without a trace, and as much as he had investigated, he never found the slightest trait that could indicate the boy’s fate.
Upon arriving in the small town of the sertão of Ceará, Thomas suffers the impact of the heat, language and landscape of the region, with his beautiful rock formations permeated by watercourses.
Thomas receives the support of Eliosvaldo (Ricardo Conti), a helpful interpreter who serves as a public relation, do-it-all and companion for the American. Eliosvaldo not only translates the words, but the very soul of the region and the coexistence between two representatives of such disparate cultures provides some of the best moments of the movie.
Another constant character is the enigmatic Valkyrie (Tania Khalil), a Brazilian reporter who seems to have the idea that everything that happens in the region is only the result of natural phenomena, which fed by the beliefs and ignorance of the people, becomes supernatural cases.
But Thomas doesn’t see it the same way, because each day he discovers new evidence that not only seems to be real, but also seems to relate to the disappearance of his own son, even if the places of events were thousands of miles away.
Thomas’ search for answers only leaves him with more doubts, even after meeting the mythical João Batista, who not only seems to know him, but also what happened to the journalist’s son. What seems most intriguing is that Thomas and his son are considered vital to the survival of mankind.
What caught my attention in the film was the brilliant way the story was presented, making no concessions to the explicit as Spielberg would do, and at the same time leaving many doubts in the viewer. Would they be ETs? Would they be spirits? Would it be madness or collective hallucination?
Although the film is Brazilian, the dialogues are practically all in English. This seems very natural, because Americans usually do not know other language than English and the people who spoke with Thomas were the interpreter, the journalist and a doctor, people who are supposed to had studied English.
“Area Q” is an excellent film, with a lean but extraordinary cast, mainly Isahia Washington, good special effects, wonderful photography, immersive and disturbing soundtrack, and a fantastic landscape, that suggests the supernatural.
This movie is available on Blu-Ray and DVD, and also on YouTube.