DIVINO AMOR

Brazil, 2019, 101 minutes, Colour.
Dira Paaes, Julio Machado, Teca Pereira, Emelio de Mello.
Directed by Gabriel Mascaro.

What might the future like be in Brazil, in 2027? While there is an emphasis on developments in technology, there is also an emphasis on a changing religious perspective. There is an announcement that Carnival has been replaced by the celebration of Divine Love.

In recent decades, Catholicism has declined in many areas of Brazil, Protestant denominations, Pentecostal communities on the rise. This film follows this line, no mention of Catholicism, but the prevailing of Divine Love, quoting the Scriptures, especially 1 Corinthians 13, with its personal gurus, with a drive-through consultation of pastors for advice, baptisms of immersion…

This film focuses on sexuality in the context of Divine Love.

Joana, the central character, works for the bureaucracy especially in terms of interviewing those wanting to be divorced. With her complete commitment to Divine Love, her specific God language, her earnestness in intervening, she sometimes alienates applicants for a divorce but also becomes involved in experiences that are meant for reconciliation. There are some explicit moments in the film illustrating these experiences, naked spouses washing each other, scenes of copulation and changing of partners…

Joana has wanted to humanise the bureaucracy with the officials explaining that this cannot be.

The bureaucracy is strong, follows everyone, surveillance on everyone, and information readily available and publicised. This is particularly true for Joana. She and her husband, Danilo, have not been able to have a child, he going for medical inspections, their sometimes desperate attempts to procreate. But, when she goes into a department store, information comes up on the notice that she has an unregistered fetus. She is filled with joy at her pregnancy.

While had been talk in Divine Love of the coming Messiah, the screenplay seems to indicate that he is about to come, Joana pregnant but not by her husband. When she tells him, he is in dismay and files for divorce.

There has been a voice-over throughout the film, questions by a child – and, after a difficult birth sequence, it emerges that it is this child who has done the narration, who is to be the new Messiah…

Provocative and evocative.

1. A Brazilian story? Brazilian society? Brazilian religion? The traditions of Christianity, the emergence of cults?

2. 2027, the world of bureaucracy, progress? Individual surveillance? Everything on chips, information available, files? A future?

3. The Brazilian city, homes, offices, centres for exercises, Divine Love? The musical score, the hymns?

4. Information that Carnevale has been displaced by Divine Love?

5. The Deva tees, the God language, quoting scripture, one Corinthians 13, the leader and her meetings? The immersion? The fellowship? Baptisms in water?

6. Issues of marriage and divorce in future society? Joanna and her desire to remedy marriage breakups?

7. The character of Joanna, absorbed by Divine Love, extremely devout, her God language, wanting a child? Her relationship with her husband, his infertility? Going to the hospital, the tests about sperm and same in? Her prayer? The consulting the pastor at the drive through consultation? Not achieving pregnancy? The visualising of the attempts?

8. The issue of sex therapy, explicit activities, the washing of bodies, copulation, changing partners? Rolling over partners lying on the floor?

9. The angry reaction to some of those divorcing, not wanting this kind of remedy?

10. The authorities, Joanna, bureaucracy not to be humanised as Joanna wanted?

11. Joanna, her pregnancy, going to the shop, the signal of an unregistered fetus? Her checking on the DNA, not her husband, but other acquaintances?

12. Confiding in the pastor, his inability to help, his moving on to other clients? The platitudes in his advice?

13. The decision to tell her husband, his wanting a divorce, is not believing his wife?

14. The issue of God, conception, miraculous pregnancy, the difficult birth of the child?

15. The visuals of the child, the voice-over and all questions throughout from the child? Urinating? The tone? A future Messiah?