Isabel, a 50-year-old sommelière in São Paulo’s fine-dining scene, shares a sense of entrapment with her colleague and friend Nico. She dreams of escaping her controlling boss at a Michelin-starred restaurant and opening her own wine bar, where she can decide what goes in the glass. When Pat, a wealthy American patron, recognises her passion and expertise, Isabel begins to believe he might be able to help make her vision a reality. However, her plans fail to ferment as expected, and Isabel must decide between playing it safe and taking a bold chance to uncork her destiny on her own terms.
“São Paulo is the biggest city in Latin America. It’s congested, there’s crime, corporations are taking over and ruling our lives. It’s easy to blame your unhappiness on those things. But sometimes you have to look inward. That’s where we found Isabel’s interiority. She looks at imperfect wines as an analogy for her own imperfect life. There’s a key scene where a group of wine professionals debate whether wines need to be perfect or not. We put that burden on objects and the things we create, but do we put that burden on ourselves?” (Gabe Klinger)
Gabe Klinger
Born in 1982 in São Paulo, Brazil, Klinger worked as a film studies professor, critic and film programmer before embarking on a filmmaking career. He has taught at universities in the US and collaborated with leading film and museum institutions. His films have received several major international awards.