How To Read The Wind

One of those tantalising shorts that, though self-contained, feels as though it could easily expand into a feature, Brazilian director Bernardo Ale Abinader and French filmmaker Sharon Hakim immediately immerse us in the world of Marjorie (Isabela Catão) as she walks over sand dunes hunting for a precious herb.

A near-future environmental crisis is suggested rather than overtly stated, first by a piece of plastic caught around Cassia’s leg and later, more strongly, when she returns to her elderly mentor Marjorie (Esther de Paula).

Marjorie is a healer who we see removing pieces of poisonous plastic from her patients – a striking way of bringing home the way that the environmental crisis is getting literally under our skins.

This seems to be the first role for de Paula, which seems remarkable given how good she is. The older star shares the sort of luminosity displayed by Denise Weinberg in Brazilian feature The Blue Trail earlier this year (a film, in which Catão can also be seen in a supporting role).

Detailed production design gives a strong sense of place, while the camerawork pays attention to textures, often drawing close to the characters’ skin. An impressive exercise in world creation with a poignant sweep.

This film is part of the 2025 Directors' Factory initiative

Reviewed on: 23 May 2025