Films

Every summer, little Salomé returns to her family’s native village in the mountains of Trás-os-Montes to spend the holidays. A time of celebration and rest is suddenly disrupted by the death of her beloved grandmother. While the adults quarrel over the funeral, Salomé is haunted by the spirit of the woman who, in the village, was regarded as a witch — her very own grandmother. The first feature film by Portuguese-French director Cristèle Alves Meira was originally titled simply Bruxa (Witch) and draws on memories from her childhood (with the director’s daughter in the lead role). The mix of professional and non-professional actors lends the film an almost documentary quality, highlighting the role of women in the village and the way superstition and official religion coexist.