The Yellow Night

Brazilian filmmaker Ramon Porto Mota refers to his feature debut as a spiritual slasher; an apt description. The group of teens who have arrived on an island for a brief holiday – a place virtually no one else inhabits and which is almost always dark – scarcely lose any blood. It’s not their bodies that get slashed. They talk, drink and wander the beach, plagued by increasingly disturbing visions. "Memories of a future dream", someone says. Again apt. Their photos on a mobile phone seem corroded by acid. From all these elements, Porto Mora constructs a refined metaphor for their uncertain futures. Behind them lies their youth, which they reminisce about. Ahead lies darkness. They have no idea what they will find. What they will lose becomes more apparent by the hour. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)