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Note of intent

I have been developing projects focused on the construction of narratives in which racial and gender tensions are predominant. So I began to write “Made to be maids” mobilized by the desire to understand the violence of affection and how racism, colorism and classism are reproduced within a black family. This film is, for me, part of a visceral process of black assertion and an achievement that reinforces my search of new ways, in which I invite other black women to join me.

Synopsis

Sandra and Mariana are cousins, their past comes to light when they come back to live together in the same house where they grew up. Sandra, aged 35, is a black woman with dark skin. Mariana, aged 34, is a light-skinned black woman. Ivone, Sandra’s mother, worked as a resident maid for Mariana’s family. Sandra challenges the romanticized version that Mariana has of their history, which ignores that Sandra, even as a child, worked in the house with her mother. When Mariana loses her job, she decides to take over the housework. Gradually, their roles and the social hierarchy are reversed: Sandra is taking over the house and getting hold of Mariana’s things. To break the cycle of oppression, they will need to understand their differences and recognize themselves as equal.

Visual concept

MAIDS is a drama with fantastic elements on the violent construction of black identity in a racist country. It is constructed from the brutal and affectionate game power between two black women with different experiences about blackness and the history of their family seeking a form of conciliation. All the scenes take place inside the house, a structure that will have to be destroyed so that the protagonists could walk together. For this they will have the help of Ivone, who died a few years ago and will return to the house in a magical way.