The Beads

The nature of the relationship between the two women in Rafaela Camelo and Emanuel Lavor’s The Beads is initially unclear. Although a snatch of a phone conversation towards the film’s end suggests that they might be sisters, it remains somewhat ambiguous and – to some extent – superfluous. What matters is the deep and abiding intimacy and affection between the nameless duo (played by Tícia Ferraz and Pâmela Germano) as one supports and comforts the other as she goes through a self-administered abortion in an isolated house somewhere in rural Brazil. Whether or not they are actually sisters, this is a beautifully depicted portrait of deep sisterly love.

While its atmosphere is largely a languid one – even the most distressing moments are handled with a quiet, subtle elegance and economy of storytelling – the whole of The Beads is shot through with an underlying discordance that repeatedly places the viewer on edge. When the protagonists arrive at the property they will be staying in, there is a shocking audio transition of a piercing scream that transpires to be from a subsequent water fight. When they partake in some wild bathing in a shady pool, one of the women is unnerved by a cleft in the overhanging rock, as if something is watching them from the dark. In the house itself, a large snake seems to have made itself at home, often slithering past unseen, edging ever closer, perhaps indicating some kind of invasion.

Exactly what the snake is supposed to represent is left disarmingly ambiguous. It feels predatory in certain moments, and there is a widespread folk belief in Brazil that snakes do not like pregnant women. Ultimately, though, the snake may be symbolic of healing or of renewal and regeneration. While its subject matter may be challenging, somewhat like Eliza Hittman’s Never Rarely Sometimes Always, The Beads foregrounds a female relationship within that premise. As much as being a low-key drama about abortion, it is about the supportive and uplifting power and potential of sororal care.

Directors: Rafaela Camelo, Emanuel Lavor
Cast: Pâmela Germano, Tícia Ferraz, Karine Teles
Screenplay: Emanuel Lavor
Producer: Daniela Marinho Martins
Cinematography: Joanna Ramos
Editing: Henrique Laterza
Music: Letícia Fialho
Sound design: Evelyn Santos, Alexandre Martins
Sound: Leonardo Kraus
Production companies: Moveo Filmes, Cardume Curtas, Apoteótica Cinematográfica, Stelios Produções, Relatar-se, Terra Cultural (Brazil)
Venue: Berlin Film Festival (Berlinale Shorts)
In Portuguese
18 minutes