Matters of the Spirit

In 1977, acclaimed filmmaker Maria Clara Lacerda won the Palme d'Or at Cannes with Absence, a hauntingly personal film inspired by her passionate relationship with journalist Pedro Ferraz. Years later, following a long separation, Maria Clara returns to Brazil and agrees to an interview with Pedro—an encounter that would go down in history. Now, decades on, previously unseen footage of the moments leading up to that fateful conversation resurfaces. Through restored images, the film uncovers a raw, intimate perspective of that day, revealing long-buried truths, silences, and emotions lost to time.