Mars One (Marte Um)

This year’s Brasilian Academy Award submission. A loving portrait of a working-class family. The father is recovering from alcoholism and mother has grown detached after experiencing a prank terrorist attack. Teenaged Deivinho is in love with the stars; he dreams of one day relaunching the Mars One colonization program his sister, Eunice, encourages his starry dreams. She’s secretly dating Joana, a wealthy student she meets at a party. The women’s romance weaves throughout the film, underscoring class divides while depicting the sensuality of young love. The image of Joana’s long blue braids sweeping across Eunice’s bare body is among the most memorable in the film.

Gabriel Martins brilliantly shows how our dreams and aspirations are very often at odds with the expectations of those closest to us. He does this in an incredibly fresh and light-hearted way, with vividly drawn characters and a pulsating, sound-filled Brazilian city in the background.  

🏆 L.A. Outfest 2022 – Outstanding International Narrative Feature, Grand Jury Award
🏆 San Francisco International Film Festival 2022 – Best Narrative Feature, Audience Award
🏆 San Sebastián International Film Festival 2022 – Best Latin American Film, Nominee
🏆 Sundance Film Festival 2022 – World Cinema – Dramatic, Grand Jury Prize Nominee
🏆 Palm Springs International Film Festival 2023 – Best Foreign Language Film, FIPRESCI Prize Nominee