The Blue Trail
An elderly woman embarks on a transformative journey down the Amazon River to reclaim her freedom.
Gabriel Mascaro’s “The Blue Trail” is a balmy riverboat ride into the unknown – as well as a bolshy protest against ageism and a warning about possible authoritarian futures, in Brazil and elsewhere. Brazilian filmmaker Mascaro captured attention with working-class drama “Neon Bull” (2015), but his new film is a somewhat gentler follow-up to 2019’s “Divine Love”, which was a stylised vision of a fundamentalist dystopia.
Centred on a winning performance from Brazilian stage and screen veteran Denise Weinberg, with support including international star Rodrigo Santoro (“300”, “Westworld” et al), “The Blue Trail” is entrancingly unpredictable in its picaresque unravelling, tinged with magical realist touches.
Jonathan Romney, Screen Daily
Gabriel Mascaro (1983) is a Brazilian director, screenwriter and visual artist based in Recife, Brazil. His documentary “Doméstica” (“Housemaids”, 2012) premiered in competition at IDFA 2012 (Amsterdam). His first fiction feature-film “Ventos de Agosto” (“August Winds”, 2014) had its international debut at the Locarno film festival and won numerous awards, receiving much critical acclaim. His next feature “Boi Neon” (“Neon Bull”, 2015) premiered in the Orizzonti section at Venice, won the Special Jury Prize there, and was screened at festivals like Toronto, among others. It was also highlighted in the New York Times Top 10 Best Films of 2016. In the same year Mascaro had a retrospective at the Lincoln Center in New York. His films have garnered over 50 international awards. His latest film “O Último Azul” (“The Blue Trail”, 2025) premiered in the Main Competition at the Berlin International Film Festival and won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize.
Filmography:
The Beetle KFZ-1348 (2008, doc, co-dir), Um Lugar ao Sol (2009, doc), Avenida Brasília Formosa (2010, doc), Doméstica (2012, doc), Ventos de Agosto (Augusti tuuled, PÖFF 2014), Boi Neon (Neoonvärvi härg, PÖFF 2015), Divino Amor (Divine Love, 2019), O Último Azul (The Blue Trail, 2025)