MOISTURE  
dir. Duda Gorter 

Hi Duda,

First of all, I really enjoyed your film!

All the characters are very interesting. They have deepness and faith. The Heroine acts very good and represents all the tension what a woman in her age and position "could" feel. Also she represents the loneliness and a life without perspective. But…

The side characters are also very good, and the way they are acting is good. But…

The cinematography and the level of the execution is very high level, all the sets are great, the vision is very good, and memorable.
Also the sound design is great – compared with the theme, what is about an ENT doctor it is very important. But..

As you see there is a lot of BUT in the previous sentences. Let's see why… I am going to summarize what I saw – there is a woman, who works as a doctor is a very posh but very cold place. She has no real connections with anyone, and she doesn't like her work. She feels herself like a rat. Also she is alone in her private life. She has a lover but not happy with him. She has some kind of religious touch, but do not know too much about that. She is only happy in the water, deep in the Sea near to Rio de Janeiro where she could release the tension.

Dear Duda Gorter,

First of all, I would like to sincerely congratulate you. I watched your film with great pleasure and curiosity. s clear that you poured your heart and soul into it, and everything feels carefully considered.Your sincerity shines through. I also think it looks even better on a cinema screen than on a computer. Of course, it's not a film for the mainstream audience, but there are many people who appreciate unconventional cinema. I hope your film finds its way to them. I don't know if you've considered this, but in addition to film festivals, it might be worth presenting your work in galleries or modern art museums. Its intriguing and unconventional form with high aesthetic value would beautifully fill such spaces.

I was particularly impressed by the acting, especially Patricia Niedermeier, who played the main role. She is magnetic and manages to hold the viewer's attention even in very long takes. The cinematography is also excellent in terms of lighting, composition, and the use of color in the set design. It's clear that there are no accidental elements here. I also found the idea of making the protagonist an otolaryngologist very interesting—this might be the first time I've seen a woman in this profession portrayed on screen. The act of examining ears feels both mysterious and intimate, and you've utilized this brilliantly.

Below, you can find some of my notes, that might be useful on strengthening your storytelling skills. In the opening sequence with the rats, there's a shot where the protagonist removes the otoscope from an ear. For me, this felt like a natural conclusion to the sequence. The transition from the ear seemed symbolic, so I was surprised that the sequence continued after this point. When working with strong symbols like the rats in your film, it's worth repeating them at least once or twice more throughout the film (for better structure), preferably in a way
that adds progression or development.

I also think the title card could be shorter. This would allow the long takes in the film to resonate better. In the scene where the protagonist is sitting at the computer, you use many cuts, even though you continue to
narrate subsequent scenes with mostly single shots. I would consider reducing the cuts in this scene to make it more consistent with the storytelling language of the entire film. I would reserve dynamic editing for sequences with rats or for more climactic moments in the film. For example, when the protagonist sees herself in the ear around 9th minute
(that red shot), you could (although you don't have to) change the pace through editing to emphasize that there's a second world inside the ear.

If you write this story what I saw, you could be very happy. But I am not 100% sure this is what you wanted to tell me. Question mark – what did the author want to tell me? I am in PAIN!

I saw lots of interesting elements from a location - Brazil, Rio de Janeiro – where I've never been but really interested about – good characters, why do not know them more? I have only chips of a vision and this is not enough for me. I spend 25 minutes of my life for watching a film and the picture did not fits together. Why the rats? Why the rain? Why the red tunel/vagina? So many questions and I need answer!!!

If I were with you, I would ask you GIVE ME MORE! Show me the way she walks home, show me how she goes to grocery, or hairdresser, or anywhere else. Why is she lonely? Because of society, show me! About work, show me more, why is she burned out? Too many patients, bad bosses, low salary? Show me! What about religion? It is only singing or something more? Believing or pretending? Show me! And I wish to see some Rio – not the touristic pictures, but more…

So once again – I enjoyed your film, but I need more! Wish luck for your next film and believe me, if you give a little dirt from the streets of your hometown, it will be far better!

7/10

The shot around 10:12, in my opinion, is unnecessary. A stronger and better choice would be a hard cut between the red shot in the ear with a loud sound and the blue shot of the patient with silence in the doctor's office. I read the film's description and your director's statement, where you write about the city being full of rats, religious sects, and constant rain, and that the film is an expression of anger towards the right-wing regime. I've never been to Brazil, so perhaps some things aren't obvious to me, but Poland has been governed by the far-right for quite some time. And before that, there was communism, so Polish cinema has a lot of experience in creating films about regimes. Therefore, you could have used sound design even more in your film to emphasize the oppressive world surrounding the protagonist. For example, the sound of rain could be present throughout the entire film, as well as the sounds of rats and religious chants. At the beginning of the film, the protagonist could have these safe sound spaces, like her office and home, but the sounds of rain, rats, and chants would gradually intrude into her space, until the only place where nothing can be heard is the sea. A greater sound contrast would allow the final scene to resonate better. I also think that the film's length might be a barrier for some festivals. Many festivals prefer films below 20 minutes long, with the most successful selections often being 10–15 minutes. It's worth considering this for your future projects.

If you haven't already seen them, I strongly recommend "Dogtooth" by Yorgos Lanthimos, as well as a few inspiring short films:
"Karkatau" by Mariusz Grzegorzek
"The Rat-Catcher" by Andrzej Czarnecki
"Working Woman" by Piotr Szulkin
and "Burn" and "Secret Life" by Reynold Reynolds

I'm rooting for you and wish you all the best on your filmmaking journey. You are a thoughtful and mature artist. You've created a film that stays with the viewer long after the screening, and that in itself is a great achievement.

7/10