The Blue Trail, about a rebellious 77-year old woman who escapes forced exile for elderly people, has struck a nerve in a country where ageism is widespread
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hen 80-year-old Gilda Olinto was given a prize at work recently, she felt as if she was being told “nothing more is expected of you”. It reminded her of The Blue Trail (O Último Azul in Portuguese), a film set in a near-future Brazil where an authoritarian government honours elderly people with golden laurels before stripping them of their autonomy and sending them to live out their days in a remote housing colony.
After being reluctantly bestowed with the accolade, the film’s 77-year-old protagonist Tereza realises she is going to be exiled from society – but she is determined to pursue a lifelong dream first, which takes her on a journey of discovery though the Amazon.
Part dystopia, part coming-of-(old)-age, the feature film was inspired by director and screenwriter Gabriel Mascaro’s grandmother, who took up painting in her 80s after losing her husband. It has struck a chord with older women in Brazil such as Olinto, who see something of themselves in Tereza – a tenacious woman with a desire to keep living life to the full, undaunted by the ageism she encounters.
