In a now famous speech made at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991, Brazilian director Hector Babenco pronounced the last rites over the cinema of his native land. In 1991, there was one exception, however: A grande arte (High Art) was virtually the only Brazilian film to get international distribution in the early 1990s.

Four years later, Salles returns to the same themes with his second feature, Terra estrangeira (Foreign Land), albeit on a much reduced scale, but with a performance from the unforgettable Fernanda Torres, winner of the Best Actress prize at Cannes in 1986.

Salles' film is set against the background of Brazil's national bout of depression precipitated by the Collor years. Its hero, a young Brazilian actor, goes into voluntary exile - a choice made by many in his profession at the time - and finds himself roaming a strange and threatening Lisbon.

Christopher Pickard

Prod co: VideoFilmes, Animatografo Produção de Filmes

Prod: Flavio Tambellini

Dir: Walter Salles, Daniel Thomas

Ph: Walter Carvalho

Prod des: Daniela Thomas

Cast: Fernanda Torres, Laura Cardoso, Luiz Melo, Tcheky Karyo, Luis Lucas, Miguel Guilherme

International sales: VideoFilmes

Running time: 100 mins

Screening: 28 June, 15.00, Lucerna

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