by Gabriel Mascaro
Seven children. Seven housemaids. Seven life stories. Filmmaker Gabriel Mascaro convinced adolescents from various cities and social backgrounds to follow their nannies around with a camera over a period of one week, and then give the resulting material to him. DOMESTICA highlights the complex relationships between the nannies, their employers and the youth in their care – a working environment where intimacy and distance are constantly at odds with each other. The film offers a rare insight into a phenomenon reminiscent of colonial times that continues to shape Brazil today.