Malu (2024 Melbourne International Film Festival) ★★★½

THE slums of Rio De Janiero are the setting for Malu, Brazilian director Pedro Freire’s feature film debut.

It depicts the passionate and volatile relationship between three generations of women from the same family.

The main character, around whom all events revolve is 50-year-old actress Malu Rocha, a free spirit living mainly on the glories of her successful past.

Roles are now few and far between and Malu exists for the nights when she gets together with younger friends to drink, smoke grass, party and share her stories.

She has separated from her husband and is waiting for him to sign over their home in the Fevela so she can realise her dream of developing a community cinema.

Malu lives with her aged mother and one of her young male admirers who keeps Malu supplied with drugs.

Her conservative, religious mother is at a loss over her daughter’s behaviour, leading to many arguments that even end in violence.

Into this volatile environment comes Malu’s adult daughter who tries to bring the family together with wildly varied results.

This is a brilliantly written story with three great performances bring the words and intent to life with passion and intelligence.

Yara de Novaes as Malu Rocha, Juliana Carneiro da Cunha) as her mother and Carol Duarte as the daughter play off each other like you would expect close, fierce and independent women to do.

The writer based the script on her own difficult relationship with her mother and the authenticity is raw and palpable.

Watched at the cinema.