In Vanda's Room review

Take the title, for instance. Whereas "Ossos" and "Colossal Youth" are titles used for their poetic significance (the latter being the name of an album by the band, Young Marble Giants), the title of this film, "In Vanda's Room" is exactly literal

Vanda has major poetic/symbolic significance: Vanda means wanderer, Vanda is a connotation for immigrant and minority, and Vanda is an orchid, considered one of the most spectacular orchids of all cultivated orchids because of their kaleidoscopic range of colours, and several Wikipedia entries claim that many types of Vanda orchids are rare and endangered.In the wanderer's room, in the room of the wandering rare endangered minority immigrant, the immigrant is Cape Verde and Cape Verde comprises a diversified kaleidoscopic culture that is vanishing.....

using minimal light sources to produce frames of great tender beauty worthy of the old masters

Well-said, that was exactly what I was thinking during the whole experience, every frame was framed like the Old Masters painters with the trademarks of chiaroscuro and the flood of golden-yellow light, except in Vanda the golden-yellow is burnt/tarnished/dying and subtley layered with a green hue, Vanda and her sister always half-recumbent just like the figures in the Old Masters paintings.Great review, time to order Ossos and Colossal Youth........

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