Experiencing Interruptions?

Aller / Retour

A woman arrives in a small town after 10 years of her first time to rediscover hidden stories and memories of the place.

  • Thais de Almeida Prado
    Director
  • Thais de Almeida Prado
    Writer
  • Thais Torácio
    Producer
  • Thais de Almeida Prado
    Sound Design
  • Thais de Almeida Prado
    Editor
  • Thais de Almeida Prado
    Cinematography
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Aller / Retour
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Short
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 30, 2021
  • Country of Origin:
    Brazil
  • Country of Filming:
    France
  • Language:
    Portuguese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • CineRo Film Festival
    Rondonia
    Brazil
    March 15, 2021
    World Premiere
  • Satyricine
    São Paulo
    Brazil
  • Pumpumyachkan – Tinkuy

    Peru
    March 5, 2023
Distribution Information
  • Filmes de Infiltração
    Distributor
    Country: Brazil
    Rights: All Rights, Internet, Video on Demand, Pay Per View, Hotel, Airline, Ship, Theatrical, Video / Disc, Free TV, Paid TV, Console / Handheld Device
Director Biography - Thais de Almeida Prado

Thaís de Almeida Prado is a filmmaker, actress and multidisciplinary artist. She holds an MA in Film Studies (2014) and a BA in Theater Direction (2004), both at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Thaís’ work permeates the interdisciplinary boundaries between performance, dance, theatre, visual arts, cinema, music and literature. Thaís made several artistic residences in different countries with individual and collective creation processes, highlighting Thaís' performance in the Peter Greenaway's exhibition Tulse Luper Suitcases.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

In November 2009, I did an artistic residency at Saline Royale d'Arc et Senans with Carolina Bonfim from Coletivo Corrosivo. Our goal was to create a video exploring the memory of Arc et Senans, combining official historical records with testimonies from residents and former workers. The city felt static, almost frozen in time. Salt, once the region’s lifeblood, became our central theme—both as material and symbol. The architecture of Saline Royale, designed by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, inspired us to navigate its utopian vision and imagine a mystical, dreamlike world.

A decade later, I felt compelled to return and reconnect with these memories. The Aller / Retour project revisited past footage while creating new material in contrast. During the first week, I retraced old paths, feeling the absence of my former collaborator. Yet summer changed my perception—gardens in bloom, people in the streets, life flowing.

In the second week, I encountered hidden histories: a battlefield, a Nazi camp, memories of prisoners. Behind the museum’s beauty, darker pasts lingered. Between the second and third week, a group of gypsies settled nearby. Their children approached me, asking to be filmed, adding another layer to my exploration of memory and place.