Words: Cláudia Pinto
Photos from “Here, in dear mom’s bosom”
Portugal is a country brimming with talent, rooted in years of accumulated expertise, as well as a new generation that builds on this know-how and breathes new life into it.
Here, In Dear Mom’s Bosom is the latest creative work of Antónia Herbert, which is a fine example of the fusion of creativity and talent. It is proof that Portugal has the potential to succeed and that talent runs in the veins of its youngest people.
“Aida opens her door to anyone who needs it. Men and women enter her flat in search of warmth, oblivion, or something they cannot name. They bring with them desires, unresolved stories and silences that weigh more than words. She welcomes them all with the delicacy of someone who knows loneliness all too well. She gives herself to them without reservations or promises”. This is how the synopsis of Here, In Dear Mom’s Bosom, the first short film of Antónia Herbert. Developed under the programme of the bachelor in Cinema and Audiovosial at ESAP — Higher School of Arts of Porto, with the support and financial support of ICA and the support to the use of the space of Snowberry, the short film explores the universe of Aida, a young woman who accumulates one-night stands.
“What are they looking for in her? What is she looking for in them? What they find there lasts only as long as it lasts, with no explanations or debts. During the intervals, Aida observes the emptiness left by those who have departed and awaits those who will arrive. Desire circulates through the rooms, the sheets and the bodies that cross paths, but something always escapes; something no skin can fill. In that transitional space, where time seems suspended, the house belongs to her, but also to everyone. And, ultimately, to no one”, reads the synopsis of the short film.
Directed by Antónia Herbert and scripted by herself, Here, In Dear Mom’s Bosom “does not seek to provide the audience with answers. The film follows the development of the protagonist. Conclusions can only be individual. Ultimately, I just want to prompt reflection on the ambiguity of interpersonal relationships”, explains the director.
“The story was born from my encounter with an example of polygamy that awoke several questions: how does it work? How do people relate among themselves? I wanted to put these questions in perspective and let the audience reflect”.
Antónia Herbert attended the professional theatre course at the Academia Contemporânea do Espetáculo in Porto and is now in her final year of a Cinema and Audiovisual degree at the Higher School of Arts of Porto (ESAP). She maintains close ties with various creative fields, particularly music and video.
