After a painful nose operation, Gabriela spends a sweltering summer vacation with her parents in a house in the country. Still in convalescence, she enjoys the attention and pampering that surrounds her — until the arrival of her parents French friends.
A family holiday atmosphere, with laziness in the air, is contaminated by a painful nose operation, which prevents the idyllic landscape from being comfortably seen. In fact, the protagonist is in constant discomfort, either because the entry of air into her body is compromised, or because her parents’ French friends come to occupy her rest. A necessary mal-à-l’aise because growing up sucks, being permanently in confrontation with our body and with our parents. Growing up is difficult when a shadow is hard to find. (Miguel Valverde)
Gabriela is a Portuguese filmmaker currently based in London. Her films focus mainly on family relationships in the daily life and solitude throughout the ages.