Portugal’s Matiné Mines for ‘Gold’ in Rotterdam With Brazilian Director Madiano Marcheti (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Christopher Vourlias Luis Campos’ Portuguese label Matiné has boarded “Mother of Gold,” the sophomore feature from Brazilian director Madiano Marcheti, which was selected for the Rotterdam Film Festival’s CineMart co-production market.Set in a rural town in a remote corner of the Amazon rainforest, the film tells the story of a troubled woman trying to overcome her past and reconnect with her estranged son, who was kicked out of the house when his father refused to accept his sexuality.After a group of prospectors invades the neighboring hillside in search of gold, the woman starts to have mysterious dreams.

As the visions intensify, she slowly comes to realize that the hill itself appears to be calling her. Speaking to Variety ahead of CineMart, Marcheti described “Mother of Gold” as a deeply personal film inspired by the difficult process of coming out to his family, as well as the connection he has to a region that has changed dramatically over the course of his lifetime.“It’s very much attached to my memories of my childhood, and my relationship with that particular place while growing up,” he said. “My memories of going through the woods, visiting the rivers with my siblings, our relationship with nature, and how this has transformed over the years with the advance of the so-called development in the form of agribusiness activity, illegal gold mining, and the like.”Marcheti’s feature debut “Madalena,” which bowed in Rotterdam’s Tiger Competition last year, centered on the death of a trans woman in a rural community.