IFF: Blood of My Blood critics choice

By Katherine Monahan

Named “Best Film of the Year” for 2011 by Portuguese critics,  the moving drama “Blood of My Blood” centers around an ordinary family living in a Lisbon slum.

Marcia (played by Rita Blanco), lives with her two grown children, Claudia and Joca, and her 30-something sister Ivete.  Things are going okay for them, with Claudia doing well in nursing school and Joca back on the straight and narrow after a delinquent past.  But when Claudia reveals that she is having an affair with her married professor, and Joca turns up with a suspicious amount of cash, the sisters realize they must take serious action to keep their family safe.

A story of unconditional love in a morally murky setting, “Blood of My Blood” is the product of two years of workshops between the actors and director Joao Canijo.  The result is a beautifully-acted, human look at life and attitudes in contemporary urban Europe.

The film will play between April 26 and May 2 at the Cinemark Multiplex as part of the International Film Festival, with tickets going on sale April 13 for the public and March 30 for patrons.

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