Domésticas is not a film about maid-servants but a film by maid-servants. Domésticas wants to give them a voice. Or rather: voices. No less than 3 million women in Brazil work as 'domestics' and they all have stories to tell. Domésticas is however not a film about the life of the maidservant in the city, not a critical look at harsh reality: this film is about the characters as storytellers. Domésticas is the film version of one of the most popular and widely praised modern Brazilian stage plays. As preparation for the play, hundreds of maid-servants were interviewed and the five most important characters were compiled from the conversations. What makes the film special is not just the subject, but also the form. The film starts as a documentary. The five women talk to the camera about themselves, about their desires, frustrations, problems and pleasures. As the film progresses, more and more space is given to pictures to illustrate their stories. They are universal stories about women wrestling with loneliness, ambitions, conflicts with partners and children, loss and pain. But it is not all bad times. New, exciting encounters, music and mutual solidarity provide sparkling interludes in their heavy existence. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)
