Sisterly Bonds Provide a Rich Backdrop in Invisible Life

Did you ever have a moment which possibly defined the trajectory of your entire life.  Did it involve a person, an action or a decision you wish you could change.  For Guida (Julia Stockler), love and a child with a Greek sailor, much to the chagrin of her loving father and Euridice’s (Carol Duarteher) dreams of being a concert pianist being put on hold while pushed into marriage with a man she doesn’t love would test both sisters faith for the present and the future.

The opening scene with the sisters atop a mountain laughing and enjoying each others’ company is in stark contrast to the wedding night scene for Euridice where she clearly has no interest in having sex.  She literally laughs at there husband naked.  On the flip side Guida, who is pregnant with a child she has no intention of keeping has second thoughts after Filomena (Bárbara Santos) calls her out saying “…so you shit out a fetus and you still want to boogie.”

One of the most intriguing things about Invisible Life is the disrespect, disdain and disgusting manner in which women in the 50’s were treated like property and not human beings.  A treatment that has prevailed worldwide until the women’s liberation and civil rights movements which paved the way for #MeToo and #TimesUp.  The film also sheds a spotlight on mental illness for women including post-partum and manic depression.

The performances of Stocker and Duarteher will blow you mind and it is their artistry that makes this film a cinematic marvel.

Beautifully shot courtesy of cinematographer Hélène Louvart, a eclectically compelling score by Benedikt Schiefer and perfectly constructed costumes by Marina Franco are just a few more reasons Invisible Life thrives.  Streaming now via Amazon Prime, this film is a strong testament that blood is thicker than water. Yet, a sisterly bond, female friendship, mother’s silent support and those who are the family you choose can life easier, tougher or simply an experience that will make one far from invisible while navigating through this thing we call life.