Review by Charles Cassady, Jr.
I’m not sure whether ELENA falls more into the camp of art or art therapy. addressing the tragic issue of major depression and suicide - as it has impacted her own family - Petra Costa's feature is a strikingly lyrical visual poem, blending freshly shot, surreal material with family home movies and low-resolution archival videos.The filmmaker's narration is a wispy open letter read together late sister Elena Costa, a Brazilian stage actress and occasional model. Both Petra and Elena were daughters of a pair of card-carrying 1960s Brazilian communists, and, like a lot of things on the political Left, the marriage failed. This seemed to wound Elena most deeply, and she withdrew into performance, earning media notices at home for her theater work.
