“Teresa … is an astonishingly real character, and [the] performance, brought out by Seidl’s part-scripted, part-improvisational process, is a small miracle.” —Indiewire
In this discordant film, middle-aged Teresa heads to a resort in Kenya for relaxation and sun, but soon finds herself encouraged to sample the sexual pleasures offered by young men roaming the beaches. Initially reluctant, she eventually falls for the charms of sweet-talking Munga, pledging to him her mind, body, and wallet. The mutual exploitation, power dynamics, and issues of class, race, and gender strike unnerving chords, but Steidl also examines the emotions driving this search for love: loneliness and desperation. 2012; DCP; in German, English, and Swahili with English subtitles; 120 minutes.