Threshold
PerSo Masterpiece
by Coraci Ruiz,
Brasile, 2020, 77′
Sunday Oct. 09, Postmodernissimo Cinema, Via del Carmine 4, 9 p.m.
Original Title: Limiar
Director: Coraci Ruiz
DP and Colorist: Tobias Rezende
Music: Natalia Mallo
Sound Mixing: Guile Martins
Screenplay: Coraci Ruiz and Luiza Fagá
Editor: Luiza Fagá
Producer: Julio Matos
Illustrator: Noah Silveira Ruiz
PerSo Masterpiece
SYNOPSIS
“Threshold” is an autobiographical documentary made by a mother on the gender transition of her teenage son. Between 2016 and 2019, she interviews him addressing the conflicts, certainties, and uncertainties affecting him as he embarks on a deep search for his identity. At the same time, the mother, who narrates the story and speaks from behind the camera to her son, also goes through a transformation process that forces her to break old paradigms, face fears, and overcome prejudices.
PRODUCER’S NOTES
“Threshold” was produced by Cisco Lab (a Brazilian audio-visual production company specialized in documentaries on human rights, social movements, and the environment) with the support of Unicamp and the Institute of the Arts. The movie was selected for the following events and workshops: ROUGH CUT LAB of DOC SP 2019 (mentored by Cristina Amaral); Impact LAB Good Pitch Brasil of DOC SP 2019; Business Rounds of DOC SP 2019 (Doc Montevideo Award); GOOD PITCH BRAZIL; and Doc Montevideo 2020. Starting from the Impact Lab, it became part of the Doc Society’s training and promotion program for impact campaigns, which includes a series of meetings and training events. It also participated to the GOOD PITCH BRAZIL fundraising event, where it received the award from the stories that matter program for the film’s impact campaign. The film distribution in Brasil (commercial and impact) has been undertaken by Taturana Mobi. The film premiered in November 2020 at the 28th Mix Brasil Festival, where it received the Best Director Award, and was also shown at the 14th For Rainbow – Festival de Cinema e Cultura da Diversidade Sexual e de Gênero, where it was awarded the prizes for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay and Best Sound Mixing. The international premiere had taken place at the Canadian Hot Docs Festival in 2021.
Coraci Ruiz
Coraci Ruiz has a degree in Dance (2002), a MA in Audiovisual Culture and Media (2009), and a PhD in Multimedia (2020), all obtained at Unicamp (SP/Brazil). The 2005 EICTV documentary filmmaking workshop is also part of her background. She has been a documentary filmmaker since 2003 when she took part in the creation of the production company Laboratorio Cisco. She mainly works as a film director and DP for documentaries. Her main productions include the feature films: “Threshold” (2020) and “Letters to Angola” (2012), this last one has participated to more than 30 festivals in 16 countries and was awarded prizes in Brazil, Angola, Portugal, and Belgium; and the short films: “Nostalgia, video letters to Cuba” (2005), “Another City” (2009), “Letters from Exile” (2015), and “Strong Feather” (2019). She is currently working on the feature film “Blooming on the asphalt”, which was selected for the LAB DOC of DOCSP 2020 (tutored by Marta Andreu) and for the WIP of Conecta Chile. The film is expected to premiere in 2021.
FILMOGRAPHY
Blooming on the Asphalt: regia (2022)
Strong Feather: regia, sceneggiatura, fotografia (2019)
Letters from Exile: regia, fotografia e montaggio (2015)
Another City: regia, sceneggiatura (2009)
Nostalgia, video letters from Cuba: regia, sceneggiatura, fotografia (2005)