Maria João Pinho

Vitor Lobo, the host of Viva FM's late-night show, gets a phone call from an old friend.

Hugo, on the cusp of middle age, is in the grip of an unshakeable torpor, squandering his life away. Facing the impending death of his friend and professional mentor Antonio, he realises something must change. Existing somewhere between the existential horror of Bergman and absurdist literary dread of Kafka, The Invisible Life explores how Hugo’s past smothers his ability to imagine and create a future for himself. Beautifully shot and steeped in darkness, the film conjures an uncanny atmosphere as Hugo, his dying friend and ex-lover Adriana confront his inability to navigate the modern world. Vítor Gonçalves, whose previous film 'A Girl in Summer' is considered a touchstone in Portuguese national cinema, has returned to the world after a 25 year hiatus from filmmaking with a tender, contemplative and haunting wonder.