AS MELUSINAS À MARGEM DO RIO

THE MELUSINA AT THE EDGE OF THE RIVER — Portugal, Luxembourg 2023 — Directed by: Melanie Pereira — 84 min — Spoken language: Portuguese — Subtitles: English — Production Company: Red Desert — Producer: Pedro Neves

In search of the legendary Melusina, a filmmaker journeys through Luxembourg, uncovering fragmented identities and the blurred lines between belonging and otherness.

While wandering through the mountains and rivers of Luxembourg in search of Melusina — the city’s mythical, mutant mermaid — the director enters into conversations with four women about their uncertain identities. Together, they reflect on what it means to feel like an immigrant without being one, and to be Luxembourgish without fully belonging.

Moving through rainy landscapes and personal memories, the film unfolds as a poetic journey across fragmented selves and unresolved histories. Part essay, part myth, it becomes an intimate exploration of identity as something fluid, ever-shifting, and only partially reconciled.

Festivals & Awards

FIDMarseille International Film Festival — Official Selection · France · 2024
Docudays · Kyiv, Ukraine · 2024
Pontevedra International Film Festival – Novos Cinemas · Galicia · 2024
Vistacurta – Festival Internacional de Cinema — Closing Film · Portugal · 2024
M-DOC – Festival Internacional de Documentários de Melgaço — Official Competition · Portugal · 2024
XXIV Encontros de Cinema de Viana · Portugal · 2024
Porto Femme – National Documentaries Competition · Portugal · 2024
Porto/Post/Doc — Cinema Falado Competition · Portugal · 2023
Doclisboa — National Competition · Portugal · 2023
— Best Film in the Portuguese Competition
— Fernando Lopes Award for Best Portuguese First Feature
— ETIC Schools Award for Best Feature Film in the Portuguese Competition

More about

Curated by

...