The Orphan (O Órfão)
2018 · 16m · Brazil
Directed by Carolina Markowicz
Tones: dark, melancholic, tender
Jonathas, a young boy who had been adopted by a conservative Brazilian family, is returned to the orphanage after his parents discover he is gay — the film follows the emotional aftermath of that rejection.
Picked by Margot
The scouts
Directors' Fortnight Cannes 2018, Queer Palm winner. Fifteen minutes. Brazilian boy returned to the orphanage by his adoptive parents for being gay. Markowicz refuses to sentimentalize — and the Queer Palm tells me she pulls it off. This will hurt.
The first Brazilian film to win the Queer Palm at Cannes, distinguished by its refusal to aestheticize suffering and its grounding in documented real-world cases of adoption reversal.
Cannes Queer Palm winner with 200+ festival selections — that's a pedigree, but more importantly the premise (a boy returned to an orphanage for being gay) hits a subject the form rarely touches. Hard to imagine watching it without the bottom dropping out.
Reviews
An unapologetic study of the way conservatism chips away at the self-worth of young individuals who can not conform.
Festivals
- Cannes Film Festival — Quinzaine des Cinéastes (Directors' Fortnight) 2018, Queer Palm — Best Short Film
- AFI Fest 2018
- SXSW 2019
- Palm Springs International ShortFest 2019
- Iris Prize 2019