Cat's Cradle

A young Portuguese mother navigating adolescence, love, and responsibility

Cat’s Cradle portrays a decisive moment in the life of Joana, an energetic and slightly rebellious Portuguese teenager who is already the mother of a young daughter. As she moves between school, time with friends, and the constraints imposed by her parents, Joana tries to reconcile adolescence with the responsibilities of motherhood. Her child accompanies her everywhere, from casual outings with friends to small everyday rituals, while private conversations gradually reveal her emotional world and the lingering presence of a first love whose end was marked by imprisonment.

Directed by Filipa Reis and Joao Miller Guerrra, and written by Pedro Pinho, the film embraces an unusual documentary approach that deliberately incorporates elements of fictional visual language. Rather than applying a single observational strategy, the filmmakers allow the form to shift according to Joana’s temperament and circumstances. Carefully choreographed camera movements follow apparently trivial moments, such as conversations after school, while more intimate scenes adopt a different visual gravity when entering the private space of Joana and her daughter.

This asymmetrical structure reflects the filmmakers’ central concern: how to film the life of someone who truly exists without imposing a rigid framework. By treating inequality and imbalance as creative tools, Cat’s Cradle enhances the verisimilitude of Joana’s experience. Her anxieties, hopes, and resilience emerge naturally, shaped by a cinematic treatment that mirrors the unpredictability and fragility of life itself.