luli Gerbase, the Brazilian, writer/director of "Pink Cloud", has directed several award-winning short films. This is her first feature. When I screened it at Sundance 2021, we were a year into Covid and I thought it was pretty extreme. Now, I’m not too sure.
Keep in mind this was written in 2017 and filmed in 2019, the pre-pandemic era. My recollections are a year old but so far, having avoided long Covid, my long term memory is accurate
One morning as dawn breaks in Brazil, beautiful Giovana awakens outdoors, in a hammock snuggled with her handsome, hook-up from the night before. Announcements blast from loudspeakers warning people to get inside and seal all doors and windows. The young couple, and hopefully, everyone else in Brazil and around the globe do as they are told.
Peering from a window in the high-rise apartment, they watch as beautiful, billowing, pink clouds roll across the landscape. Those toxic clouds destroy the breathable air. Everyone is mandated to lock down inside. No one can leave their isolation. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not for years.
That idea alone, should set your imagination in a spin. Where might you be when the warning to isolate comes? At home? At work? With strangers in a grocery store? Are your children with you? How are your elderly parents doing? How full is your fridge? Will anyone ever come to your rescue?
I won’t reveal what happens in this film, other than to tell you it is a study of human nature, our ability to cope, to adapt and to determine our own fate. It will sure make you think. Today, more than two years into this pandemic, it is timely and eerily haunting. As an interesting side note, the term ‘pink cloud’ is often used during recovery from substance abuse to describe feelings of euphoria when returning to regular life.
A high degree of 'suspension of disbelief' is required to stick with the story line all the way through. It’s a very interesting concept and makes social distancing during Covid seem like a walk in the park!
In Portuguese with English subtitles, "The Pink Cloud" is rated R and runs 1 hour and 45 isolating minutes. It premieres in select theatres around the country in January and on VOD beginning March 1.