Expanding on Szumowska and Englert’s reputation for empathetic storytelling, Woman of… spotlights an underrepresented community. Aniela’s journey mirrors Poland’s own transition from Soviet influence to a modern Europe—an evolution that has brought new freedoms but still leaves many individuals on the margins. By framing the story of a trans woman in a society often slow to embrace LGBTQ+ rights, the film poses timely questions about identity, acceptance, and the cost of living authentically.

Notably, Woman of… features numerous trans and non-binary cast members in both trans and cis roles. This inclusive approach lends a tangible authenticity to Aniela’s emotional struggle. In a nod to iconic Polish director Andrzej Wajda, the title references his seminal works Man of Marble and Man of Iron, aligning this contemporary narrative with a tradition of Polish cinema that challenges societal norms.

While the film’s universal themes resonate anywhere, the UK release particularly appeals to British audiences with Polish heritage and those invested in queer cinema. By focusing on the hardships, resilience, and ultimately the dignity of its protagonist, Woman of… stands as a powerful human drama that crosses cultural barriers. It promises to spark conversation, provoke empathy, and underscore the urgent need for legal and social reforms—both in Poland and beyond.

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“Sônia Braga’s filmography reveals by itself the place of the actress in the world cinema. She has been living and working in the US for more than 30 years and had important roles in the movies produced in Hollywood” evaluates Brazilian film scholar Daniela Gillone, from the University of São Paulo (USP), in an exclusive interview with Big Picture Film Club.

In the Brazilian silver screens, many of her entries are in the top ten of all-time box office hits but like many of her compatriots she had to cut her teeth and make her name in the popular telenovelas.

“Her career peaked during the 70’s and the 80’s coincidently with a period of intense communication from Brazilian productions with the local public. Pictures like ‘Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands’ (1976) and ‘Lady on the Bus’ (1978) represent this very positive moment regarding her popularity and taking over of the domestic market. It is important to remember that parallel to her cinema career, Sônia became one of our major TV stars. For the mainstream audiences, it seems to me that she is more known for her TV work over the movies, however both activities converge to make her one of the most popular Brazilian actresses by the tail end of the 20th Century,” contemplates Sérgio Rizzo, critic from ‘O Globo’ newspaper in an interview with Big Picture Film Club.
In our conversation, Rizzo reminds me that like many foreign talents the fact that her mother tongue is not English, but Portuguese, presents an obstacle and the pigeonholing of foreigners. Braga, like others, had to endure and overcome that to achieve her legendary status.

Gillone observes that “Braga projected herself as a beauty icon and proposed alternatives for the female desire in a traditionalist and conservative culture. I highlight ‘Gabriela’ (1983) by Bruno Barreto where she acted alongside Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni. In this movie, the actress progresses with her resistant posture to the norms imposed on female representations. In national and international movies, we have her singular politics of women’s desire and fantasy building. She brings the figure of a libertarian woman that predominates in her roles and dialogues with her own posture as an actress in world cinema.”

Still, for the current moviegoer crop, Braga is remembered for her later works with Brazilian auteur Kleber Mendonça in the pictures ‘Aquarius’ and ‘Bacurau’ playing older authority figures as an elder stateswoman fighting for the legacy of her building and city in the former or as the doctor in a forgotten city which serves as a human hunting game for foreigners in the horror western that is the latter. Both performances are acclaimed by critics and overlooked during the award seasons.

And in her mid-career entries, Braga showed how ranged she could be even then by playing three different characters in ‘Kiss of the Spider-Woman’ a seminal picture dialoguing about sexual identity and the horrors imposed by dictatorial states on bodies and minds of those deemed enemies.

Another side of her biography is the political activism in defence of human rights and the environmental agenda. Braga “is not aligned with the official conservative speeches” ponders Gillone pointing out her long-standing democratic values, protesting the state of Brazilian politics at the 2016 Cannes festival, and her solidarity towards the minorities.
The scholar believes that Braga’s legacy will be the acknowledgement of the historical struggle by Brazilian actresses for more visibility, equal payment to their male counterparts, and valuing of older female characters as also the resistance of female characters to be seen not only as objects of desire or second-string players.

Rizzo believes that Braga’s legacy is related to another name that is highly associated with Brazil and became a staple in Hollywood and entertainment. “I believe that her place is very special, besides Carmen Miranda, the Portuguese that for us became a Brazilian, as our greatest movie stars.”

Also Read: Global Cinema Spotlight: Iranian New Wave

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Visiting her sister in Bogota, Jessica (Tilda Swinton) is awoken by a loud bang, audible only to her. Restless and disoriented, she roams the city in search of an explanation for the mysterious sound. Despite being present throughout, Jessica’s motives remain opaque and her encounters enigmatic. Soon she begins to confront the unsettling sights and sounds that call her identity into question.

How is it?

Memoria’s strength as a film lies in its ability to be focused on what it is and not try to cram too much into a film for the sake of it. What we are treated to is a multilayered look at searching for connection, meaning and purpose. Stylistically, the film plays on contrasts: the continuous thud (or bang) Jessica here’s intermittently throughout the film provides the literal heartbeat of the film which provides the necessary tension; whilst the story feels like it develops slowly enough to appreciate all the nuance in Jessica’s journey. The use of natural sounds of Jessica’s environment contrasted with the cold mechanical thud that is central to the story provides another element of contrast which provides a unique stylistic quality to this film.

Style & Substance

Although a lot of emphasis can be placed on the stylistic elements of the film director, Apichatpong Weerasethakul has crafted a film with a fine balance of both style and substance. Tilda Swinton gives an engrossing performance as Jessica, the key to her performance is her relationship with Hernan – which plays out wonderfully through the film and pays off at the start of the final third of the film. The closer Jessica gets to the source of this noise, the more she is able to question and discover more about herself and her purpose. The focus is very much on Jessica’s journey and self-discovery, as such, the supporting cast, with the exception of Elkin Díaz’s Hernan, are not the focus of character development. This narrowing of focus does actually help to keep the film focused. The ending is bold in the direction it chooses to take, which might not satisfy everyone, but is certainly a point of discussion.

Rating: (4.5 / 5)

Apichatpong Weerasethakul has created a film that is a very intriguing mix of arthouse, thriller and Sci-Fi – an intriguing & introspective sensory journey.

Memoria is released in U.K cinemas on 14th January 2022

Also Read: The Red Pill or the Blue Pill: Matrix Philosophy

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