What to watch: Baby
A film by Marcelo Caetano that immerses us in the streets of São Paulo.
The latest film from Marcelo Caetano is Baby.
After being released from a juvenile detention centre, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) finds himself alone and adrift on the streets of São Paulo, without any contact from his parents and lacking the resources to rebuild his life.
At a porn cinema he encounters Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), who teaches him new ways of surviving. Gradually, their working relationship becomes a tumultuous passion.
"In the house where Ronaldo lives, trains pass almost inside the courtyard..." explains Marcelo Caetano. "Sounds from the neighbours invade the intimacy of his room. There is constant funk music coming from a favela nearby. It's very chaotic, but sensual at the same time. These are the sounds and images of the neighbourhood that I live in. My alarm clock is the metro that passes below my building and softly wakes me every morning. We never feel completely alone, as we are part of this big engine that never stops."
"Loneliness is not an option for Baby..." continues Caetano. "To have a dignified life, he needs to create bonds with unknown people or even build temporary families. As I witness the disintegration of community life in Brazil, with neoliberal and individualist ideology gaining control of our society, I like to think that this film is a counterpoint to the recent political wave. I strongly believe that freedom is not a personal achievement but a collective one. Baby needs the support of outsiders to live his life the way he dreams of."
Caetano has created an engaging and watchable film that immerses us in the gritty streets and emotional complexity of São Paulo.
Baby is distributed by Peccadillo Pictures
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