Casa de Lava [Blu-ray]

I bought this for my wife who left Cape Verde at the age of 16. Anyone familiar with CV will tell you that Sal and many other sites shown are not the main towns and cities that they would be familiar with. Fogo with its Volcano São Vicente até places that people visit. In addition the culture of music (Cesária an Bana) and many firms of dance, history, cuisine and the diaspora are lacking.There are some interesting spots and facts that are interesting. We just hoped that there would be more!!!

Excellent

Leao is a labourer in Portugal when he has an accident at work. He injures his head and ends up in a coma. Then the hospital receives a cheque for his travel home to the Cape Verde island, off the north west coast of Africa (a Portuguese possession).He is comatose and so his nurse Mariana travels with him to ensure he arrives safely. Once there she gets embroiled in the local culture and language and the intrigues of those that live there and the fact that no - one seems to want to fess up to having anything to do with her patient. As time passes she gets more involved with the locals and soon is part of the fabric of their lives and the emotions of being so close to her patient.This is a slow film in places, what some might call `poetic', director Pedro Costa uses the minimalist and sometimes surrealist approach to tell the story. Whilst this can act as an alienation device it can also be done in a way to create a beguiling atmosphere that keeps the viewer interested; as is the case here. Not one for everyone, but for those who really do like a film way off the beaten track. Filmed on the Cape Verde island and Portugal and with good sub titles, this might be one you would want to check out.

The brooding intensity of the volcanic landscape on the Cape Verde Islands is the setting for this beautifully crafted film.I previously knew nothing about director Pedro Costa`s films but being a great fan of World Cinema & the Second Run series of films I am always keen to discover. The unfamiliar geographical location was an obvious starting point of interest, the Portuguese and Creole languages another. The film may pay homage to Jacques Tourrnuer`s I Walked with a Zombie, but do not be distracted it certainly is not a zombie or horror film.The author of an essay accompanying the film gives us an insight "the cinema of Pedro Costa is populated not so much by characters in the literary sense as by raw, human essences, souls".We the viewer, along with visiting Lisbon nurse Mariana, become bewitched by the mysterious landscape and community. It is a marvelous film that will linger in your mind, another great original quality release from Second Run. The booklet is a very informative essay on the film and director..

It was interesting and better than most of his films but "I Walked with a Zombie" which allegedly inspired this film is vastly better