A Strange Path

David, an experimental filmmaker, returns to Brazil for the first time in ten years when his feature film is set to premiere at a local festival. Although he has returned for work, his thoughts increasingly turn to his father, whom he hasn’t seen since he left. As news of the Covid-19 pandemic spreads and rumors of an impending lockdown intensify, David changes his ticket in hopes that the festival will eventually continue — but decisions are soon out of his control. Finding himself without a phone or a place to stay, David ends up on his father's doorstep. They begin an uncomfortable coexistence as David simultaneously tries to get to know his father and gain his interest. The old man, however, proves to be inscrutable and capricious as increasingly odd things start to happen around them.

Director Guto Parente makes use of experimental footage throughout the film to convey David's mood and accentuate the twists and turns of his journey. A Strange Path is a deeply personal story about family and belonging. Ultimately, what keeps David in Brazil is more than just the pandemic. Will he get the closure he is looking for?––Casey Baron