Jesus Por Um Dia

In a Trás-os-Montes jail, preparation starts for the Way of the Cross staging and the prisioners, as if they were students again, gather in the classroom to receive instructions. The documentary watches them since their first rehearsals until the procession, with a detailed insight into the process: the dramaturgy taken very seriously, the image of Jesus’ wounds painted carefully, the making of the wooden crosses that close the film in a geometrical shot, the elderly witnessing the developments and singing about life and time never going back. The directors uses summary shots, filled with incisive, curious notes ‚ a poster of Jesus Christ on a door, as if he was a celebrity to be embodied. The quietness of the countryside and the peaceful life of the rural community form a contrast with the latent tension, the uncertainty of the future and ensure the nostalgia of tradition. (Ágata Pinho)