Synopsis

Val is a live-in housekeeper to a wealthy São Paulo family with a teenage son, whom she’s lovingly raised since toddlerhood. Everyone in the house has their place, until Val’s daughter, Jessica, arrives from Val’s hometown to take university entrance exams. Jessica’s confident and rebellious presence upsets the unspoken yet strict balance of power in the household. Val must decide where her allegiances lie, and what she’s willing to sacrifice.

Details

(111mins) | Brazil

Language:

Portuguese, with English subtitles

Production

Directors:

Anna Muylaert

Anna Muylaert was born in 1964. She studied filmmaking at the School of Communications and Arts at the University of São Paulo before becoming a film critic. In 2002, she directed her first feature, Durval Discos. The Second Mother is her fourth film.