The Daughters of Fire
Pedro Costa / Portugal / 2023 / 9 min
A new short work by Portuguese film artist Pedro Costa. Three women sing to each other across a violent volcanic eruption in Cape Verde.
Since the turn of the millennium, Pedro Costa has established himself as one of the greatest contemporary film artists, but in his own paradoxical way. As an innovator who pays homage to tradition, he has developed an obscure imagery that is at once unmistakably his own and belongs to the people who appear in his films. usually in roles where they play versions of themselves. The new short film ‘The Daughters of Fire’ is no exception – and yet. The film’s three parallel performances are separated in a triptych, but tied together by the singing voices of the three female cast members. The women are sisters, separated from each other not only by the film’s setting, but by the eruption of the Fogo volcano on Cape Verde Island. A unique work in its own right, which according to the director is a pre-study for an upcoming film. Shown with Wang Bing’s ‘Man in Black’.