Melanie Pereira | Portugal, 2023, 82'
Born in Luxembourg in immigrant families, five women reflect on countries, identities, fragments, and mermaids. While searching among mountains and rivers for Melusina, the mutant and legendary mermaid of the city of Luxembourg, the director talks to four women about their uncertain identities: what it is like to be an immigrant without being one, and to be Luxembourgish without being one. A journey through memories in rainy times. A search for ever-fragmented identities. An uncertain attempt at reconciliations.
As film director, Melanie Pereira's work revolve around two central themes, Portuguese emigration and the fight for women's rights. Her first works are part of what she calls the Emigration Cycle, and deal with migratory fragments through observations, memories, times and archives. A feminist activist, she also develops several investigations and artworks around cinema and women, especially in the Portuguese context. In 2023, she was one of the four emerging Portuguese directors chosen to be part of The Factory program of the Directors' Fortnight in Cannes. In the same year, she premiered her first feature film As Melusinas à margem do rio at Doclisboa, awarded with three prizes among which the HBO Max Award for Best Film in the Portuguese Competition, and currently selected for the Doc Alliance Feature Film Award.
