A man has taken on the care of a young boy while his mother is unable to be there, teaching him lessons as best he can.
Written and directed by Eduardo Boccaletti, Bijupirá is a short film that shows the humanity in helping each other and raising children may they are related or not. The writing here is interesting with a touch of drama that keeps the viewer interesting. The direction is organic and works great with the writing, helping make this short film one with depth and something to say that lands well in big part due to the writing and direction.
Of course, the cast here is making this something more than images on a screen or a simple story of care. The two leads, and the only actors with screen time, are fantastic here, giving performances that anchor the film and give it its emotional punch. The adult lead here is Reinaldo and is played by Heraldo de Deus who makes the character his own and gives him that care and worry of someone with a young charge they have to keep safe. Playing this young charge, Tomé, is Enzo Gois who is adorable and giving a performance that feels like it’s his life taking place on the screen. He is the star here and gives a star-turn performance. He’s the reason for the story and makes it something that anyone watching can care about by making them care about his character through his performance.
The cinematography here is stunning; the work by director of photography Renan Benedito is more than just right, it’s basically perfect. The images are beautiful, and the way the action is framed lets the characters and what they do speak for themselves. The images here have a soft quality even in harsher moments; they have that thing about them that shows that attention and care were put into them and made to carry the message and the story. The editing by Fernando Martins works well with these images, giving them time to breathe and time to develop with the story and the characters.
Bijupirá is a visually stunning short film with a touching story that doesn’t demand anything of the viewer but also doesn’t impose anything. It’s a window into the lives of a man and the child that was left in his care, one where belonging is central to the story and questioned by the characters, one where two very different people at very different place in their lives converse and become what the other needs to keep going.