
Youwon’tinstantlynoticethegreatburdenrestingonBela’sshouldersatthewell-to-dofamily’spicnic.ThisfreeadaptationofKleist’sstoryDerFindlinghasshiftedlocationtoPortugalinthemid-16thcentury.TheseeminglyboldyoungmanBelaisfromapoorneighbourhoodinLisbon.Hewasadoptedbythefamilytoreplacethemerchant’srealson,whoneverreturnedfromajourneytoAfrica.TheworldisBela’soyster.Afiancéehasbeenchosenforhim,hehasaknackfortrade,sowhydoeshesecretlymeetwithRosa,aservantstolenfromMorocco,whoworksatthelocalmonastery?Isitlove?Adesireforfreedom?AndwhatareRosa'smotives?<br/> Thedramaunfoldscalmly,yetinexorably.Thisfamilyfrescoismarbledwithsecretaffairs,hiddentragedies,andchargedrelationships.Thecalminevitabilityisreflectedintheproduction’sstylewithitscarefullystagedtableauxandintimateclose-ups.Intimate,playfulmomentsandpoeticeffusionscannotdispelthesensethateverythingisabouttofallapart.Deathisalwaysclose.Belaseessomeoneelseinthemirror.<br/> Thelocation,inaparadisiacallandscape,justoutsideLisbon,reinforcesitsuniversalnature.Simultaneously,itisnothardtoviewthisasamirrorforarichandpowerfulcountryslidingintostagnationanddissolution.Subtlereferencestocolonialismandtheinquisitionprovidethisunderstatedtragedywithadditionaldepth.





