Miguel da Costa Franco

Picucha may seem old-fashioned, but she has modern ideas and a great sense of humor. At 85 years old, she pushes the limits of her age and does everything she can for her family and friends. Sweet Mother illustrates the everyday life of the elderly with clarity and levity, and shows that youth actually starts at 80. In the role that earned her the 2013 International Emmy® Awards for Best Actress, Fernanda Montenegro adds another success to her list of characters, which includes an Oscar nomination for the film Central Station.

Picucha may seem old-fashioned, but she has modern ideas and a great sense of humor. As the matriarch of a big family, she is involved in the daily lives of her children, grandchildren and other relatives. Undeterred by the typical problems of old age, she uses her many years of experience to solve problems in the best way possible.

The story revolves around Rosa, a woman who has just had a daughter and is homeless in the city of Porto Alegre. On a stormy night, she seeks shelter in the garden of a temporarily unoccupied house. However, that same night, the owners of the house, João and Sandra, return to their home. Sensitized by the difficult situation of Rosa and her baby and dominated by her maternal instinct (not yet realized), Sandra allows the “invaders” to remain in the garden. Shortly afterwards, she ends up welcoming mother and daughter into the house. In the following days, conflicts erupt due to the social abyss that separates the characters, heightened by a painful memory of Rosa and João’s childhoods.