Sadness and Joy in the Life of Giraffes(EUFF 2020)

Tiago Rodrigues’ fourth film revolves around a nine-year-old girl who, after the death of her mother, could only count on the company of her penniless actor of a father who’s obsessed with not being able to watch the Discovery Channel, and an imaginary friend who takes the shape of an all-swearing, suicidal teddy bear called Judy Garland. Seeking help for her financial problems and her pre-pubescent confusion, she sets out to meet the one person who could help her: the prime minister! Cue a trip across Lisbon, where our heroine meets punks, pensioners and Anton Chekhov – an atypical adventure, perhaps, for a child confronting a country in crisis.