Duas vezes João Liberada

João, an actress from Lisbon, is starring in a biopic about the gender-nonconforming Liberada, who was persecuted by the Inquisition in 18th-century Portugal. Although the director of the biopic seems to have a penchant for portraying violence and suffering onscreen, Liberada’s story is ultimately one of strength, resilience and rebellion against established gender roles. The production becomes a battleground as João clashes with the director over how Liberada’s legacy should be portrayed. These tensions deepen as the ghost of Liberada starts to haunt João in her dreams and the boundaries between past and present become blurred. When the director suffers a mysterious paralysis and is unable to finish the film, João must navigate her way through the unfolding chaos of the shoot, tormented by unanswerable questions not only about the future of the film but also about her own connection to Liberada’s spirit and story.