The Other End

Diogo (17) enjoys talking on the phone with his mother’s patients (she’s a psychotherapist) anonymously, of course. This is how he meets Angela (43), who has just been left by her husband. Although the much older woman is initially taken aback when she learns of Diogo’s secret, she feels drawn to him. Angela and Diogo fall in love—despite all odds. The central theme of this quietly told film is the breaking of taboos—in the charged tension between a personal longing for intimacy, awakening sexuality, and societal moral standards. The film ventures into the gray areas of emotional and erotic relationships and poses uncomfortable questions about norms and power dynamics. The chemistry between the two strong lead actors, Karine Teles as Angela and Tom Karabachian as Diogo, comes across as believable. While the young man initially acts out of voyeurism and loneliness, Angela appears emotionally vulnerable yet also curious. The characters are complex, ambivalent, and are not judged morally—which makes Felipe Sholl’s restrained yet intimate film feel very authentic. In doing so, he has succeeded in creating an almost intimate film that quietly observes yet also dares to polarize.