The Second Mother

Viewer discretion advised; not recommended for minors.

112 min.

Brazil, 2015

Directed by Ana Muylaert

In Portuguese with English subtitles

In São Paulo, Val has been working for 13 years in an elegant house as Fabinho’s nanny since he was a child. Val’s estranged teenage daughter Jéssica, who lives in Pernambuco, was raised by her father and another woman but financially supported by Val. When Jéssica calls her mother to tell her she will travel to São Paulo to take the admission test for one of the best universities in the city, Val asks permission to her employers to bring Jéssica to her room. They agree and the teenager is welcomed by the family. But soon she becomes a problem to Val since she does not follow the usual submission norms of maids, breaking the class barriers in the house and bringing disturbance to the relationships.