Homing

In the remote, rural pampas of Brazil, laid-back cowboy Marcelo lives on a cattle ranch and is passionate about his two greatest passions: cattle and rodeos. A tragic attack in which he loses over 100 of the cattle entrusted to him shakes Marcelo's sense of life to the core. Gradually, he overcomes his identity crisis and the trauma - the 30-year-old is ready to dream again. "Brazilian director and screenwriter Helvécio Marins Jr. has dedicated his second feature film to the rural population of his home country, which is increasingly being pushed to the margins. As in other countries, power is concentrated in the cities, as is wealth. The rest are left behind, seeking solace in strong, populist men who promise them that they can turn back the clock. Querência - Returning Home captures this mood without becoming too political. Nor does racism play a role, which usually goes hand in hand with these simple solutions. Instead, the people here see themselves as a community that sticks together while the rest of the world has forgotten them. The title has a double meaning: it describes both the ability of animals to find their way back to their place of origin and a place in a rodeo arena where a bull feels safe. Both apply to Marcelo, who is looking for his place in life after his traumatic experience on the farm. Fact and fiction merge, with the cowboy - like almost all the actors and actresses - playing a version of himself. [...] The drama, which premiered at the 2019 Berlinale, is so deliberately unspectacular, despite its occasional dreamlike features, that it poses a certain challenge to the attention span. However, if you have this and an interest in the subject, you will gain an insight into rural life, with its traditions and dreams that gradually fade, that shifts between melancholy and warmth." (Oliver Armknecht, on: film-rezensionen.de)