16/02/2025 - BERLINALE 2025: Gabriel Mascaro’s film is an explosive combination of a powerful leading character, stunning scenery, sharp humour and mystical rituals

Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro is back at the Berlinale after his presence in 2019 with the Panorama-selected Divine Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], continuing to use his visually compelling style, deeply rooted in projections of a near-future Brazil. This time, the element at the core of the competition film The Blue Trail [+see also:
trailer
film profile] is not birth, but rather quite the opposite: old age.

Seventy-seven-year-old Tereza (Denise Weinberg) is just one of the many elderly people in her small Amazonian town who are forced to move to a senior housing colony. Younger generations need to work and be productive, which implies that older people are no longer needed and must instead spend their final years in “peace”. Escaping this fate is extremely difficult, as everyone strictly follows government rules, requiring older-looking individuals to present documents proving that their “caregiver” – Tereza’s daughter, in her case – has granted them permission to buy a plane or bus ticket.

After being informed that the age threshold has been lowered and that she now falls into the group required to move to the colony, Tereza decides that she wants to fly on a plane – something she has denied herself throughout a lifetime of work and single-parent responsibilities. When her daughter refuses to grant her permission, she embarks on a solo journey to fulfil her dream. Along the way, she meets various people, including Cadu (brilliantly portrayed by Rodrigo Santoro), a love-struck sailor who smuggles her onto his boat and introduces her to the magical powers of a blue liquid derived from a snail. Not too long after, Tereza encounters Roberta (Miriam Socarrás), who will introduce her to a whole different perspective on life.

The Blue Trail is a marvellously crafted film that mostly relies on its peculiar, almost comedic road-movie approach as well as its powerful imagery, enhanced by the beauty of the South American landscapes. The social undertone, sometimes eclipsed somewhat by the humour, is also extremely compelling, as it presents an intriguing generational perspective on the topic. Denise Weinberg does an incredible job of bringing to life all of the nuances of Tereza, an absolutely adorable character, surrounded by well-written supporting roles, each of whom could have potentially had a film of their own. Overall, Mascaro’s movie is a joy to watch.

The Blue Trail was produced by Brazil’s Desvia and Mexico’s Cinevinay, and was co-produced by Quijote Films (Chile) and Viking Film (Netherlands). It is sold worldwide by brand-new Parisian sales agent Lucky Number (see the interview).