A subtle, touching film on the double life of Joao.
Living with his old mother, and supporting her, Joao is probably in his late 50s, early 60s, and his job is not ordinary. By night, he works as a drag queen in a gay club, entertaining the audience and enjoying some charisma.
But life is tough, Joao's mother spends a lot of time and energy supporting both her senile ex-husband and his grandson who is completely addicted to drugs. Everybody's health seems fragile and safety is never granted. The film is a tribute to people's resilience and a brutal perspective on contemporary Brazil.
For anyone familiar with Charles Aznavour's songs, Castanha resonates with the song Comme 'Ils disent', about an old gay man living with his mother in Paris in the 1960s, and working as a transvestite by night in a cabaret.
Living with his old mother, and supporting her, Joao is probably in his late 50s, early 60s, and his job is not ordinary. By night, he works as a drag queen in a gay club, entertaining the audience and enjoying some charisma.
But life is tough, Joao's mother spends a lot of time and energy supporting both her senile ex-husband and his grandson who is completely addicted to drugs. Everybody's health seems fragile and safety is never granted. The film is a tribute to people's resilience and a brutal perspective on contemporary Brazil.
For anyone familiar with Charles Aznavour's songs, Castanha resonates with the song Comme 'Ils disent', about an old gay man living with his mother in Paris in the 1960s, and working as a transvestite by night in a cabaret.
