Supernatural Forces, Mental Health and Detail from Indoors
(Forças Sobrenaturais, Doença Mental e Detalhe de Interior) 2019

HD File, 16:9, 11 minutes and 18 seconds, silent
A text written in English and Portuguese versions runs over low opacity footage of a bouquet of artificial flowers. The flowers, which once adorned the dinner table in Destourelles parents' living room, evoke memories of his childhood domestic environment, where Cape Verdean Creole and Portuguese cultural codes intertwined. An unsound narrative, that juxtaposes social attitudes towards mental health and the state of democracy in Cape Verde with references to Portuguese historical events, emerges through the text.
The text was written simultaneously in Portuguese and English languages. The English version is more rational, whilst the Portuguese version is more emotional, reflecting his relationship with both languages and their historical power dynamics.
https://vimeo.com/349513915