Casa de Lava backdrop

Casa de Lava

1995·Drama·1h 45m
7.1
The film tells a story of Mariana, a nurse who leaves Lisbon to accompany an immigrant worker in a comatose sleep on his trip home to Cape Verde. The devoted Portuguese nurse took a journey only to find herself lost in abstract drama.
Directed by Pedro Costa
nurse
memory loss
cape verde
abstract

Cast

Isaach de Bankolé
Isaach de Bankolé
Leão
Inês de Medeiros
Inês de Medeiros
Mariana
Édith Scob
Édith Scob
Edith
Pedro Hestnes
Pedro Hestnes
Edite's Son
Daniel Andrade
Daniel Andrade
Nhelas
Monica Calle
Monica Calle
Enfermeira em Lisboa
Luís Miguel Cintra
Luís Miguel Cintra
Actor convidado
Isabel de Castro
Isabel de Castro
Actriz convidada
António Sequeira Lopes
António Sequeira Lopes
Betinho

Crew

Pedro Costa
Pedro Costa
Director
Pedro Costa
Pedro Costa
Writer
Dominique Auvray
Dominique Auvray
Editor
Paulo Branco
Paulo Branco
Producer

Popular Reviews

13 reviews
oliver
oliver
Casa de Lava
this is the first film set in cape verde i've seen and, i'm probably biased since i am cape verdean, i loved it! the cinematography is insane, although the plot gets kinda lost. overall it's still great!
this is the first film set in cape verde i've seen and, i'm probably biased since i am cape verdean, i loved it! the cinematography is insane, although the plot gets kinda lost. overall it's still great!
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Mohmad Ali
Mohmad Ali
Casa de Lava
فلم عظيم و ما استغرب ليش المخرجين كلش يعتبرونه مفضل عندهمترينيس ماليك كوبولا غونزاليس  جيم جارموش وغودار ترشيح مني الكم اصدقائي فلم مهم لازم ينشاف
فلم عظيم و ما استغرب ليش المخرجين كلش يعتبرونه مفضل عندهمترينيس ماليك كوبولا غونزاليس  جيم جارموش وغودار ترشيح مني الكم اصدقائي فلم مهم لازم ينشاف
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Enrico
Enrico
Casa de Lava
Um filme de retratos da morte. Pós-Stromboli.
Um filme de retratos da morte. Pós-Stromboli.
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Christian David
Christian David
Casa de Lava
It’s kind of insane how underestimated Pedro Costa is on the world stage. Sure, he’s fairly known around the world, but his films never get as much attention as someone like Olivier Assayas or Jacques Audiard receives every time they make a film (even if it’s shitty). Part of me finds this extremely unfortunate because he literally is a master of his craft. In my opinion, I don’t think Costa has made a single bad film in his entire career — they’re all near-masterpieces, save for Horse Money, which I think is a true masterpiece in its right. The other part of me finds comfort in it because the films seem so much more personal to me as opposed to feeling like they’re being created solely for the world stage festival circuit (with Audiard as an example, I hated Dheepan and found it horribly exploitative and unnecessary).

All in all, this film is a bleak assemblage of what feels like embodiments of paintings. And that’s the thing — I can’t use the description of seeming like an assemblage of paintings and say it’s concrete — it’s just how I felt. Feeling is such a strong factor in Costa’s films and is often the best way to make sense of them and to form connections with them. Everything flows together in some sort of spiritual rhythm that I can’t articulate. Some events are inexplicable and rife with empty moments, but they still manifest as vital to the story — which is an extremely difficult element to accomplish and still keep a spectator completely riveted. Absolutely beautiful.

Also, I’m dying to hear the story as to how Edith Scob and Costa met.
It’s kind of insane how underestimated Pedro Costa is on the world stage. Sure, he’s fairly known around the world, but his films never get as much attention as someone like Olivier Assayas or Jacques Audiard receives every time they make a film (even if it’s shitty). Part of me finds this extremely unfortunate because he literally is a master of his craft. In my opinion, I don’t think Costa has made a single bad film in his entire career — they’re all near-masterpieces, save for Horse Money, which I think is a true masterpiece in its right. The other part of me finds comfort in it because the films seem so much more personal to me as opposed to feeling like they’re being created solely for the world stage festival circuit (with Audiard as an example, I hated Dheepan and found it horribly exploitative and unnecessary).

All in all, this film is a bleak assemblage of what feels like embodiments of paintings. And that’s the thing — I can’t use the description of seeming like an assemblage of paintings and say it’s concrete — it’s just how I felt. Feeling is such a strong factor in Costa’s films and is often the best way to make sense of them and to form connections with them. Everything flows together in some sort of spiritual rhythm that I can’t articulate. Some events are inexplicable and rife with empty moments, but they still manifest as vital to the story — which is an extremely difficult element to accomplish and still keep a spectator completely riveted. Absolutely beautiful.

Also, I’m dying to hear the story as to how Edith Scob and Costa met.
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Eclectic Sorcerer
Eclectic Sorcerer
Casa de Lava
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