“We’re stuck in a limbo…, broken in half.”
In Carlos Amaral’s Infinite Sea, we find ourselves in a mildly post-apocalyptic world. More specifically, we find ourselves left behind. If I were someone who thought of an eschatological Rapture, I’m sure that this film would have some interesting concepts.
The film takes place in a city that is mostly abandoned, and yet things are still working for the most part. In the distance we often see rockets speeding into the cosmos as the chosen population is headed off to Proxima Centauri B, a world that is seen as the future for humanity. Miguel (Nuno Nolasco) has not been chosen for the exodus. He is trying to hack his way into the system to change his rejection into an acceptance, but with little success.
He encounters Eva (Maria Leite) at a swimming pool. They form a bond. They wonder, if they were to go to the new world if they would find each other there. The film moves meditatively through their time together, the empty world they inhabit, and then the empty, mud-filled new world. We may be left wondering if this is real, imagination, or a simulation that is part of the long journey in stasis.
The film features some very nice cinematography that captures the emptiness of the world and of Miguel’s life. There is an almost primordial feel to the idea of water in the film. Miguel, who doesn’t swim, often goes to the pool and just allows himself to sink into a suspended reality—from which Eva rescues him.
Central to the film is the idea of loneliness. There are a few other people in Miguel’s world, but none to really connect with except for Eva. At one point, he and Eva contemplate the question of if they have a purpose. Neither really does anything. They see a friend who serves food out of a truck and see his purpose, but what about them? Must one produce or act to have a purpose, or is existence a purpose in itself?
As to the possible eschatological themes, this is not about some heavenly Rapture. The selection of who will go or be left behind are not based on either merit or faith. Instead, we are asked to just look at what it means to be in a world that is dying. Some may be going to a new world for a new life (although that too is questionable). But for Miguel and the others remaining, the real question is what is the point of continuing? Is being alive and being human enough of a reason?
Infinite Sea is in limited release and coming soon to Amazon and VOD.
Photos courtesy of Buffalo 8 Productions.