Luciana Vieira and Marcel Beltrán’s Blind Spot takes place at the port of Fortaleza, Ceara’s capital. Marta performs various tasks at the docks, stepping in as an electrician and security guard alike. She is under the purview of Ramiro, a chauvinistic and arrogant man, who dismisses her skills and finds rather unsophisticated ways of controlling his all-female team. Despite taking place mostly at night with Fortaleza’s cityscape adorning the background, the heat is still pervasive. But it isn’t the climate that’s most oppressive, Marta is soon to find out. An auspicious and austere comment on the strength of words, and the power of calculated silence. A dirty gem (four splats/stars).

Stella Carneiro and Ary Zara’s The Cowgirl, The Showgirl and The Pig is a lot briefer and also a lot more extravagant than the first short film. Two women (one of them trans, however you would barely know that without reading the film notes) work in a bar for a man who behaves like a pig. He is dirty and violent. And he grunts just like a swine. One day, they decide to confront him and to take revenge for the abuse to which they have been submitted. And so blood flies everywhere. A very graphic blend of Brazilian cowboy and giallo, with split screens, title cards and vibrant reds and blues taking over most of its runtime. A very generic story with few recognisable trademarks of Ceara or even of Brazil. A mostly sanitised movie (two stars/splats).

The third movie is Bernardo Ale Abinader and Sharon Hakim’s highly cryptic Como Ler o Vento. Filmed in a square aspect ratio, and with various textures, this is the first of the three creations to showcase the prominent sand dunes. The story revolves around an elderly healer and her heiress-presumptive, a young and beautiful indigenous woman. Their therapy consists of removing pieces of cloth and plastic from inside their patients, through excisions or vomiting. I’m not sure whether this is inspired by local folklore, tradition or religious practice. Infamous Brazilian healer John of God conducted very similar operations. Despite boasting some beautiful and also some disturbing images, Como Ler o Vento feels unfinished, and just too elliptical for its own sake. A greasy movie (three stars/splats).

Wara and Sivan Noam Shimon’s A Beast in the Mangrove is the fourth and final film, and the most visually impressive one (pictured at the top of this review). This blend of mystical and mythological tale portrays a woman in a mangrove, a bioma adjacent to the towering sand dunes of the previous film. After falling prey to a male predator, she develops supernatural powers in order to defeat the force of evil that left his mark upon her. Plush colours and inventive camerawork make this beastly movie exceedingly beautiful. A didactic note at the end prevents it from reaching its full potential. Still, A real dirty gem (four splats/stars).

While not offering consistent and profound insight into the cultural richness of this little-known Brazilian state, Directors’ Factory Ceara Brasil is still entertaining and enlightening to watch. Let the sunlight into your heart!