Liquid Truth
(Aos teus olhos)
Carolina Jabor | Drama, Fiction
2017 | 90 minutes | Brazil
An incisive look at the dangers of selfies and social media culture and how they can be used (or misused) to expose and taint a person’s character.
Synopsis
What if the only evidence of a crime is the testimony of a parent interpreting the unclear words of her child?
Alex is a young boy on the swimming team. His dad is gruff, seemingly always disappointed he never gets first place. Noticing that the father’s pressure has been affecting Alex’s behavior, Coach Rubens tries to offer emotional support. Extremely outgoing, he’s widely popular with the kids. But the personal attention becomes questionable when Alex’s mother says her son confessed that Rubens was inappropriate with him in the locker room.
At first, Alex’s father is hesitant to pursue the matter, concerned about his own image. The school principal is slow to react, too—worried the whole thing could be a misunderstanding. But when Alex’s mom posts about the incident on social media, there’s no going back. The community quickly turns against the coach, vandalizing his car and even inflicting violence on him. Sexual abuse is a sensitive and serious matter. No one would want to disbelieve a child. But what if the story isn’t true? Is everyone in town rushing to judgment?
Director Carolina Jabor’s incisive, unsettling, and powerful film debut maintains an intriguing, tension-filled air of mystery, even as it exposes our own propensity to pass judgment. It is also an incisive look at the dangers of selfies and social media culture and how they can be used (or misused) to expose and taint a person’s character.
Reviews
"Recommended... A good conversation starter for students of education, child psychology, and criminal justice...Presented in Portuguese with English subtitles, none of the subtleties of the performances nor the story are lost due to language." — EMRO
"The film may be foreign from Brazil, but it typifies all too many social media ills that would explode in a parallel fashion here in this country." — Every Movie Has a Lesson
"Perceptive...An attractive male swimming instructor is accused of inappropriately kissing a six-year-old boy in Carolina Jabor's perceptive, handsomely made Liquid Truth." — Jay Weissberg, Variety
"An exercise in carefully balanced sympathies that always keeps us guessing...Though its refusal to come down on one side or another may frustrate some viewers, this is a bold piece of work with a lot to say." — Jennie Kermode, Eye for Film
"Derives a great deal of its power from what we can't see, can't know and can't be sure of. And yet it does so in scenes of such defined, sharp-edged clarity, that it constantly teases the idea that an irreducible, absolute truth does exist. It's just that it hovers a little outside the peripheral vision of even the most unblinking viewer." — Jessica Kiang, The Playlist
"This engrossing drama uses the pool as a crucible for the attitudes of parents who rush to judgment and Rubens' colleagues who worry about their reputations. De Oliveria makes Rubens a noble hero to root for as he refuses to acknowledge the small-minded people who fail to trust him and act on fear, not proof." — Gary Kramer, Philadelphia Gay News
Citation
Main credits
Jabor, Carolina (film director)
Oliveira, Daniel de (actor)
Falcão, Gustavo (actor)
Galli, Mallu (actor)
Ricca, Marco (actor)
Paraizo, Lucas (screenwriter)
Other credits
Cinematography, Azul Serra; editor, Sergio Meckler.
Citation
Cataloging
Pragda subjects
Communication + Journalism
Criminal Justice
Culture + Identity
Education
Family
Gender + Sexuality Studies
Sociology
South America
Youth
Keywords
Clips
Festivals
Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival - Audience Award, Best Actor; Supporting Actor; Screenplay
Sao Paulo International Film Festival - Best Brazilian Fiction Film
Havana Film Festival - Signis Award
World Cinema Amsterdam - Best Film
Chicago International Film Festival
Mix Brasil Festival - Best Director
DIRECTOR: Carolina Jabor
NATIONALITY: Brazil
YEAR: 2017
GENRE: Drama, Fiction
LANGUAGE: Portuguese
COLOR / B&W: Color
GRADE LEVEL: College, Adults
SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE
Existing customers, please log in to view this film.
New to Pragda? Register to request a quote.
Related Films
![](http://misc.docuseek2.com/pragda/images/titles/pr-fchair_poster.jpg)
Father’s Chair
A busca
![](http://misc.docuseek2.com/pragda/images/titles/pr-hero_poster.jpg)
Hero Steps
Pasos de héroe
![](http://misc.docuseek2.com/pragda/images/titles/pr-igirl_poster.jpg)
I Girl
Yo niña
![](http://misc.docuseek2.com/pragda/images/titles/pr-school_poster.jpg)
In the High School
En el instituto
![](http://misc.docuseek2.com/pragda/images/titles/pr-alba_poster.jpg)
Alba
![](http://misc.docuseek2.com/pragda/images/titles/pr-harpoo_poster.jpg)
Harpoon
Arpón
![](http://misc.docuseek2.com/pragda/images/titles/pr-earth_poster.jpg)
Here on Earth
Acá en la Tierra
![](http://misc.docuseek2.com/pragda/images/titles/pr-tcof_poster.jpg)
The Country of Fear
El país del miedo
![](http://misc.docuseek2.com/pragda/images/titles/pr-hueso_poster.jpg)
A School in Cerro Hueso
Una escuela en Cerro Hueso
![](http://misc.docuseek2.com/pragda/images/titles/pr-naked_poster.jpg)
The Naked Screen
La pantalla desnuda
![](http://misc.docuseek2.com/pragda/images/titles/pr-c3h_poster.jpg)
Courtroom 3H
Related Collections
![](http://misc.docuseek2.com/pragda/images/Collections/pr-laborlens_collection.jpg)
Labor Lens: Work and Society
A cinematic exploration of the complexities, struggles, and triumphs of the working world, showcasing the diverse narratives and experiences that shape our understanding of labor and its context.
Number of titles: 79
SEE COLLECTION >![](http://misc.docuseek2.com/pragda/images/Collections/pr-_compl.jpg)
The Pragda Complete Film Collection
The essence of Spain and Latin America captured in their original language with English captions or subtitles.
Number of titles: 621
SEE COLLECTION >![](http://misc.docuseek2.com/pragda/images/Collections/Women Voices - 251.jpg)
Women's Voices
These films challenge dominant narratives and offer compelling feminine visions of the region's past, present, and future.
Number of titles: 216
SEE COLLECTION >![](http://misc.docuseek2.com/pragda/images/Collections/pr-_portu.jpg)
Portuguese Language Films
A journey through Brazilian cinema celebrating the musicality of the Portuguese language and the country’s cultural heritage.
Number of titles: 117
SEE COLLECTION >![](http://misc.docuseek2.com/pragda/images/Collections/pr-criminal_justice.jpg)
Criminal Justice
A riveting selection of films that provoke conversations on topics such as wrongful convictions, systemic issues, life in prison, and the human stories behind crime and punishment.
Number of titles: 128
SEE COLLECTION >![](http://misc.docuseek2.com/pragda/images/Collections/pr-_lgbt.jpg)
LGBTQ+
An insightful view into the struggles and triumphs of the LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming community in Latin America and Spain.
Number of titles: 55
SEE COLLECTION >