The Blue Trail – London Film Festival 2025

An older woman, dissatisfied with the government’s latest seniors’ relocation policy, sets off along the Amazon to realise her dream while she still can. The Blue Trail plays at London Film Festival.

Tereza (Denise Weinberg) is 77 years old, active, independent, and doesn’t feel the need to stop working or any of the other things she enjoys in her rural Brazilian home. But the Brazilian government has a policy that ‘relocates’ the elderly to a seniors’ housing colony once they reach a certain age, and in doing so, releases the younger generations from the burden of caring for them and can focus on their own productivity. When the government revises down the age limit, Tereza finds herself battling against her family and the state in trying to reject her unwanted future.

In trying to escape the authorities forcing her to the ‘colony’, Tereza decides to pursue her dream, and – armed with her last pay packet – sets off on a journey to make it happen. Along the way she encounters and learns things from a range of people, and also shows her own resourcefulness when things get difficult. Through her travels with river courier Cadu (Rodrigo Santoro) she discovers the Blue Drool Snail, whose ultramarine-coloured slime can induce a state of fantasy where people can see into the future. It may seem a little fantastical, yet it fits with the slightly odd dystopian ambience. 

As her expedition continues, Tereza demonstrates and strengthens her agency as an older woman, and outwits snitches and petty thieves – her determination is not to be underestimated.

With the help of a couple of children (because the adults have already prejudged her by her grey hair and looks), Tereza eventually meets the person who will take her furthest on her travels – the Amazon-sailing bible-seller Roberta (Miriam Socarrás). Roberta’s similar experience gives the two women something over which to bond, and for a while The Blue Trail becomes a kind of buddy road movie – yet on a boat.

In describing The Blue Trail, director Gabriel Mascaro comments that he wanted to present something different from the more usual trope of older characters trying to come to terms with their past, and preparing for death. Tereza is the complete embodiment of ageing and living, not ageing and dying. She proves that it is never too late to find new meaning in life.

Playing in the Journey strand at LFF, The Blue Trail is indeed a journey in many ways. For Tereza, there’s the physical river journey and the internal personal one too. For viewers, following Tereza as she sails along the Amazon is one part, but audiences are also invited to ask themselves questions about their own view (or place) in society of those who are ageing. With the elderly no longer around requiring care or attention every day, then there is more time for the younger generations to grow themselves, and bring up their own families. But what happens to the knowledge and experience of the older generation? Does that leave the rest of us doomed to make the same mistakes over again?

The Blue Trail plays in the Journey strand of the London Film Festival 2025.