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Vitalina Varela

2019 · 124 min · Director: Pedro Costa ★ IMDb 6.7 · 2,674 ratings

Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)

Vitalina Varela takes its title from the name of its lead actress, a Cape Verdean woman who, as per usual with Costa's non-professional actors, plays a fictionalized version of herself. Vitalina first appeared in an episode in the director's previous film, Horse Money (Wavelengths 2015), wherein she recounted how her husband had left their homeland nearly 25 years ago to work in Lisbon - a separation that became permanent when she finally arrived on the continent, three days after his funeral. In Vitalina Varela, Costa refracts and expands that episode to place us firmly within his heroine's stoic point of view, capturing her extraordinary strength and resilience as she navigates the scanty physical traces her husband left behind, discovers his secret, illicit life, and encounters the other lives that darken the shadows of the Fontainhas that once was.

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Emotional fingerprint

Vitalina Varela (2019) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Melancholy 35%, Sadness 25%, Empathy 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure

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AI estimate

Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.

Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.

Why it feels this way

The strongest emotional signals are Melancholy, Sadness, Empathy. Genres: Drama. AI estimate.

Is it worth watching?

Consider this title if you are looking for Melancholy, Sadness and Empathy. Its IMDb rating of 6.7/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 69/100.

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Cast

VV
Vitalina Varela

V
Ventura

MT
Manuel Tavares Almeida

LV
Lina Varela

Fd
Francisco dos Santos Brito

IM
Imídio Monteiro

MA
Marina Alves Domingues

JB
João Baptista Fortes

NF
Nilsa Fortes

LL
Lisa Lopi

BM
Benvinda Mendes

JR
João Raimundo Monteiro

BB
Bruno Brito Varela

Details

Directed by
Pedro Costa
Written by
Pedro Costa, Vitalina Varela
Type
Movies
Released
2019
Runtime
124 min
Country
Portugal
Genres
Drama
Ratings
★ IMDb 6.7 · 2,674 ratings
Feels mostly
Melancholy
Data updated

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Data: JustWatch · Wikidata

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Emotion overlap shows mood similarity, not a prediction of enjoyment.