Brazilian short film Somewhere, tomorrow is a poetic account of two strangers meeting in an secondhand bookstore. Through well-structured, philosophic dialogue, their stories and distress are revealed little by little and build up to a tensionate, open ending. Fantasy and reality get intertwined, while the soft lighting and aesthetic cinematography blend in with the poetic atmosphere.  

 

The short film explores the lives and ideas of two initially opposite characters. She is a married woman who lost faith in her marriage and men, and he, the owner of the bookshop, is a romantic, sensitive man who is still waiting for “the one”. Through mutual discovery and sharing, the two seem to become aware of their distress which then leads to life-changing decisions.

 

Though the situation may seem strange or unnatural at first, the two actors manage to build a dynamic, realistic relationship. The dialogue seems to move the action further and is the fuel of the short-lived, intense interaction between the two characters. It is the dialogue itself that reveals the apparent opposition between the characters. The man’s poetic and philosophic way of speaking is in contrast with the woman’s skepticism and loss of hope for men and relationships. However, as meaningful as the dialogue is, the dynamics and flow of the short could have benefited from breaking it once in awhile and allowing the viewer to reflect more.

 

Other strong points of the short are its poetic, atmospheric cinematography and soft piano score. All of these elements, masterfully combined by the director, manage to transform an accidental, daily life situation into a reason for meditation and reflection.