Trailer for Sandro Aguilar’s UPRISE

Sandro Aguilar is well known in Portugal for his visually rich experimental shorts, now he makes is full length debut with UPRISE. In this fragmented tale of loneliness we see the lives of multiple poverty stricken and disfranchised characters trying to make sense of, and connecting with the outside world.

The official site for this drama is now online. In it you can find a still gallery and a streaming trailer. The screenplay of UPRISE was written by Sandro Aguilar himself. The movie stars Isabel Abreu, António Pedroso, Cátia Afonso, Tiago Barbosa, Guilherme Pina Cabral, Nuno Bernardo, and Manuel Mesquita. Here’s a plot synopsis provided by the production company:

Each character in UPRISE has to deal with the loss of a loved one. A man observes his father’s body lying on the white hospital sheets, only moving because of the artificial respirator that keeps him alive. A panic-stricken pregnant woman holds on tight to her husband in an ambulance, as medical staff try to resuscitate him. In an apartment, the man tries to get used to the disembodied space where his father lived. The father’s dog is still there, but his presence in no way attenuates the feeling of profound emptiness that emanates from the place. A couple expecting a baby live in the remote countryside, but one night the husband goes out and does not come back. These men and women seem anaesthetized by their overwhelming grief. Survivors walking in spaces almost devoid of life, they stumble forward, seeking a place to rest.