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Menarca
Menarca
7.4
/10
2,083 Ratings

MENARCA

Directed by Lillah Halla
Brazil, 2020
Short, Drama

Synopsis

In a Brazilian village infested with piranhas, Nanã and Mel are growing fast into adolescence as they dream of ways of protecting themselves against a seemingly inescapable violence. When a mysterious body appears tangled in a fisherman’s net, they learn what might be their ultimate protection.

Synopsis

In a Brazilian village infested with piranhas, Nanã and Mel are growing fast into adolescence as they dream of ways of protecting themselves against a seemingly inescapable violence. When a mysterious body appears tangled in a fisherman’s net, they learn what might be their ultimate protection.

Our take

An arresting brew of myth and body horror, Brazilian filmmaker Lillah Halla’s Cannes-selected short is a startling metaphorical fable. A coming-of-age tale of female agency, empowerment, and friendship, Menarca counters the ubiquitous threat of male violence with a flight of sharp-toothed fantasy.