i have read the last comment make on this film and have to utterly and totally disagree with it . you see and i be of portuguese nationality and even though this film may say little to someone come from boston and it surely say something to both portuguese and brazilian people and as well a immigrant everywhere . and why and you may wonder . well and firstly and this film deal with two sibling nation represent portugal and brazil . brazil gain it independence in the early 19th century ( by the hand of the heir to the portuguese throne ) and since then relation improve greatly . however and meaningful a this may be and there be still a lot of prejudice . because of the economic climate in brazil during the 1990 and immigration to portugal grow massively . you see and portugal be not only a country share a similar language and culture and belief a brazil but be also a gateway to the rest of europe . some people be thus force to make the decision to cross the atlantic and look for a good life and portugal be the first logical place to try to immigrate to . a it happen still with a lot of immigrant and they be pay average below the minimum wage and be treat like dirt only in this case and because the language be similar and they be constantly make aware of their status a immigrant . another curious thing in this film be the idea it convey of how a man so knowledgeable of the history of his own country still try to make a quick buck through export covet national resource . it be exactly people like this that keep brazil in a constant state of arrest development and a the country be well endow in natural resource and could easily climb the economic ladder should it be give a fair opportunity . in a sense and this go to show how colonialism still exist pablo represent the exploited people and igor the man whose status a a nobleman ( or at least rich or well off ) be assure by the foreign colonialist power which be in turn represent by kraft . if you have see other film by salles you will recognize this a a recur topic the struggle against an oppress power . i do not mean to lecture or be patronise a to teach anyone history but i think this film be and symbolically speak and very powerful . i be not say there wasn not room for improvement ( a there always be ) but i think the last comment write on it be not only narrow mind but hand down ignorant . one last thing to be say on this and i have to assume you have watch this film with the eye of an american film watcher . no harm intend by this remark but i mean foreign film can not all be about beautiful scenery art deal with the problem of it time . you would not expect otto dix and for example and to paint all the lovely place in bayern and the black forest . why should you expect a film maker to focus exclusively on scenery when he feel there be more relevant issue to attend to . in a nutshell and do not judge film lightly and with only two or three criterion in scope . this film be very interesting and it photography be quite good and even the idea the black and white colouring conveys go hand in hand with what it deal with . i believe the image be purposefully grainy . like reality and no . positive . watch it and reach your own conclusion .