Presence of Absence
June 2024
Presence of Absence is a dance film that explores “saudade,” the bittersweet Brazilian feeling of longing and nostalgia. Through a single performer embodying both the one who feels saudade and saudade itself, the film traces the emotional journey of memory, loss, and acceptance. Interwoven with interviews from the filmmaker’s family, it reflects on how saudade shapes the body, turning absence into a quiet, enduring presence in life.
The film is making its festival run and will be available online shortly.
Director: Branca Peixoto
DOP: Giovanni Bello
Dance Film Performance: Vivian Guyrá
Styling: Dove Che
Soundtrack: Fernando Machado and André Borges
Mastering: André MagalhãesShown at the collective exhibition La Hora Loca.
The Good Rice gallery, London, March 2025.
The film was selected for the Artist Archive Film Night.
Siobhan Davies Studios, London, January 2026.