Haunting and surreal, this Brazilian drama follows aging dairy worker Cristovam (Antonio Pitanga) during his first days after transferring from a closing facility in the North of the country to the milk company’s home base in the South. The company uses his ignorance of the German language and his race to reduce his wages, cementing early on societal views and struggles of black people in the South of Brazil. He tries to live a simple life, but his attempts to exist are hampered and invaded at every turn by the white occupants of the milk factory settlement.
Teens torture and mutilate his dog while he works at the factory. Frequently, the German-speaking townsfolk vandalize and invade his home, seeking to intimidate Cristovam with racial violence. Conflict and hate prove too much for Cristovam, leading him to several radical changes in attitude and eventually a mental breakdown. Memory House shows these and other shocking events as they unfold, attaching them to cultural norms from Cristovam’s home state which he clings to in a bid for survival.
Surprisingly graphic and grotesque in its depictions of racialized violence, Memory House can be difficult to watch. The unwavering honesty of its portrayals makes for an intriguing and artistic exploration of the systemic and cultural nature of racial violence. Cristovam remains stoic and calm through most of the violence he faces, enduring in the hopes the invaders will cease.
The use of color, light, and camera angle help to tell the story in a unique and often surreal way. Multitudes of beautiful shots stand beside the surreal and often unworldly nature of the milk factory town: outstanding nature shots of the jungle lead us to bars filled with German yodelers. The milk factory seems all at once far too old and state of the art. Some segments use magical realism or spiritual elements to portray Cirstovam’s feelings and the threats he faces.
These surreal moments show us the bizarre nature of being colonized, being at home yet worlds away, to be made subhuman in your own country. Cristovam’s story ends in a public lynching atop all the racial violence he faces in the rest of the film: keep these facts in mind when making patron recommendations. Memory House is an outstanding, highly recommended drama that belongs in world cinema collections. It should also be considered in collection development for drama and art film collections.
Discover more titles for your film collection in our list of world cinema movies.