Marinheiro das montanhas

Es ist Karim Aïnouz’ erste Reise nach Algerien, Heimat seines ihm kaum bekannten Vaters. Während in den Bildern der Überfahrt noch Beklommenheit herrscht, erweitert sich der ödipal aufgeladene Trip zusehends zum erinnerungspoetischen Requiem für die brasilia- nische Mutter wie auch zur postkolonialen Spurensuche im Atlasgebirge, von wo aus die väterlichen Vorfahren in den Kampf gegen die französischen Besatzer zogen. Stakkato-Sequenzen wie aus einem maritimen Fiebertraum werden aufgefangen von alltäglichen Begegnungen. Die manische Suche nach einer alternativen Biografie löst sich auf im klaren Mädchengesicht einer unverhofften Cousine aus den Bergen. (Stephan Settele)

In MARINHEIRO DAS MONTANHAS, the Brazilian filmmaker travels to Algeria, the land where his father was born, to get to know the place and learn more about his origins. It is a classic moment in the life of anyone who reaches a certain age: the need to find out more about the history of their family. And even more so in cases like Aïnouz’s, in which travels, disappearances, and mysteries have obscured much of the story. The film is structured like a travel diary. There isn’t (or doesn’t seem to be) a film crew. It’s the director, camera in hand, capturing his experiences that begin when he arrives in Algiers and has to deal with suspicious looks from the authorities and people on the streets. Little by little, he starts to feel more and more “at home” as he goes deeper into the local customs, meeting people and giving space to their testimonies on camera. Alongside the journey that Karim undertakes to the small town where his father was born and in which some distant relatives still live, MARINHEIRO will also tell the story of his family. The “technical” limitations of this type of shooting are not annoying or uncomfortable. Rather, they perfectly capture what is ultimately a revealing experience. (Diego Lerer)

Karim Aïnouz: O PRESO (1992, K), SEAMS (1993, K), PAIXAO NACIONAL (1996, K), MADAME SATÃ (2002), O ABISMO PRATEADO (2011), PRAIA DO FUTURO (2014), ZENTRALFLUGHAFEN THF (2018), O SOL NA CABEÇA (2018), DIE SEHNSUCHT DER SCHWESTERN GUSMÃO (2019), 30/30 VISION: 3 DECADES OF STRAND RELEASING (2019), NARDJES A. (2020)