Letters From Fontainhas: Three Films By Pedro Costa

The highly acclaimed and rarely seen trilogy of films made by Portuguese director Pedro Costa in the impoverished Fontainhas neighborhood on the outskirts of Lisbon debuts here in Criterion's handsomely-packaged DVD boxed set. Ossos (1997), a polished but minimalist portrait of a suicidal young mother and her infant, the hustling young father who takes the baby, and the friends and relatives in their orbit, was shot on location in the slum on 35mm with a professional crew and a cast of non-actors drawn from the community. Costa, who found the filming experience both liberating and frustrating, chose to change his style and creative approach in the remaining two films. In Vanda's Room (2000) and Colossal Youth (2006)—both near-three-hour portraits based on the stories and experiences of the local populace (in particular, a heroin addict named Vanda Duarte who plays a central role in all three productions)—were shot on digital video with a minimal crew over the course of months and even years. Costa blurs the lines between character and actor as the camera patiently observes the rhythm of the subjects' lives, employing long takes with little dialogue to complement the emotionally restrained performances. Costa's demanding films are admittedly not for everyone, but this trilogy does effectively capture the struggles of immigrant life. Featuring a bonus fourth disc, the extensive DVD extras include Aurélien Gerbault's feature-length documentary All Blossoms Again (on Costa and his relationship to Fountainhas), video interviews with Costa and others, a video essay on Ossos, two short films by Costa, a video installation piece directed by Costa, and a booklet with essays. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)