News & Reports
Oct.25 Director of “My Mother is a Cow” (Brazil), Moara Passoni appeared in person for Q&A
2025.10.29
At the Q&A session for My Mother is a Cow, the Brazilian director, Moara Passoni expressed her gratitude to the audience: “I’m truly happy to present my film in Japan. It’s such a beautiful and inspiring country,” she said with a smile.
This film marks her first narrative work, inspired by her own experiences.
Originally from São Paulo, she later moved to Brazil’s vast wetlands, the Pantanal, where she formed a deep bond with a pregnant cow — an encounter that changed her understanding of life and death. “Through that cow, I began to see the cycles of life in a completely new way,” she reflected.
The film was shot on an actual farm using mostly non-professional actors from the local community.
“I started with a script, but the story evolved naturally through conversations and improvisation on site,” she explained.
“In the end, it became a true collaboration with the people who live there.”
The lead role was played by Luísa Bastos, a 12-year-old girl with no prior acting experience. “She had an incredible imagination and truly inhabited the character,” the director said.
The eight-day shoot presented many challenges — unpredictable weather, missing cattle, and limited equipment —but the director noted proudly, “Despite all the difficulties, we created something powerful together.”
The film also carries elements of Brazilian mysticism and spirituality.
“As a child, I used to pray to protect my mother. That sense of faith and mystery became the spiritual foundation of this story,” she explained.
Touching on the film’s jaguar mythology, she added, “The jaguar represents both fear and strength.
This film is about transforming fear into a force for life.”
The director concluded by revealing her next project —a new documentary centered on jaguars and their evolving relationship with humans in Brazil’s natural landscape.
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