BLUE BLOOD

Zolah is a human cannonball, of all things. The circus is in his bones, having been raised in the Netuno Circus, led by Kaleb, an illusionist with a passion for Marlon Brando who loves to have big philosophical conversations on the beach with his fisherman friend. After leaving 20 years earlier, Zolah returns with the troupe to the little island of Fernando de Noronha, off the coast of Brazil, where his best friends are Teorema the Stainless Steel strongman, Gaetan the knife thrower, his mother Rosa — and Raquel, the beautiful diving instructor he falls for, unaware she is his sister. Winner of the awards for best film, director and supporting actor at the Rio de Janeiro film festival, this third feature by Lirio Ferreira (Dry Movie) chooses a superb island setting for a work of remarkable formal beauty, from its perfect black and white prologue to its spectacular circus scenes. The cast is endearing and charismatic, starting with Daniel de Oliveira, Paulo Cesar Pereio and even filmmaker Ruy Guerra.