Aquarius (2016)

Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho

Aquarius is a strong testament to the value of family, memory and womanhood. Set in a seaside apartment block named ‘Aquarius’ in Recife, Brazil, its last remaining resident, 69 year old Clara (played by Sonia Braga) is a formidable opponent of the construction company ‘Bonfim’, who are doing everything in their power to remove her from her home using subversive and intimidating tactics. This is the premise of the film, but its main story is cushioned by beautiful moments from Clara’s past and her journey through life as she deals with impending eviction from her place of solace and memory. 

The film opens in 1979. We see a young Clara with her husband, children and extended family in the ‘Aquarius’ apartment. Her aunt Lucia is celebrating her 70th birthday. As the family give tribute to Lucia’s crowning achievements over the years, Lucia is thinking back 40/50 years, and we are treated to flashbacks of oral sex with a partner, possibly gratuitous, yet tasteful given the short duration and clever editing. Lucia is grateful for the tributes by her great nieces and nephews, but jokingly reminds them of her sexual accomplishments, not all that acceptable in the 1930s. We see the strong staff of feminism being passed down through the decades and specifically to Clara as the film unfolds.

We then flash forward to the present date. Clara is 10 years widowed, she is a mother, aunt, cancer survivor and in her professional life, a retired music journalist and critic. Her walls adorned with vinyl records and Kubrick posters; she melds into her surroundings like a chameleon. Strong-willed and beautiful, she ushers away each proposal from the construction company to buy her out much to the chagrin of Clara’s children, who try to convince her to leave, as the apartment is just too old for her to live in. ‘So, when you like it, it’s vintage; when you don’t like it, it’s old. Is that right?’, an irate Clara declares during a heated argument with her youngest daughter.

The apartment is a tribute to Clara’s life and demonstrated beautifully in various moments. We see her dancing to ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ as she sashays around her living room, joint in hand, looking like a teenager, her chic and beautiful furnishings fitting with her attire and overall demeanor. Another touching moment is revealed when a young female relative visits and is asked to choose a song from Clara’s extensive record collection. Clara is visibly moved by her young relatives’ choice, and we see the importance of connection between the generations and the respect they have for each other, all while enjoying Clara’s space and the musical memories that tightly embrace the walls of her home.

Another important dimension to the film, and one that is demonstrated in a brave and visceral way, is the view of women and their sexuality. In particular, Clara’s attitude towards sex as she gets older. Having recovered from a mastectomy, we are shown a cruel rebuff from a dancing partner because of her surgery. However shortly after this, after happening upon a sex party in the vacant apartment above her, Clara engages the services of a young prostitute, and the realistic representation of this encounter is nothing short of excellent. Placing his hand on her right breast rather than her prosthetic, her businesslike manner of fulfilling a primal need is executed perfectly. We are left under no illusion of Clara’s strength and sanguine nature. Her confident, intelligent personality shows sexuality has no age and her scars are of no importance to the less shallow of suitors. Her male acquaintances and friends view her with respect, and we see many instances of sexual attraction mixed amongst their regard for her.

The unstoppable train of capitalism continues on the tracks, and the life of Clara is documented beautifully as she tries to save her home among family and friends. The running time of this film is 2.5 hours. There are unusually long scenes dedicated to Clara with her girlfriends, Clara on the beach. Clara chatting with her maid Ladjane. All important, not one minute wasted. Sonia Braga is ‘Aquarius’ Her poise and body language is uncompromising. The final and rather ambiguous scene sums up the wonderful character that is Clara and the valiant performance by Braga. An absolute treasure.

by Claire Fagan