Tabu

Set in Lisbon around 2010, Tabu centers on Pilar, a devout, community minded woman whose steady routine is unsettled by the enigmatic presence of her neighbor Aurora. Aurora is a sharp tongued, volatile older woman whose gambling habit masks a deep well of hurts and secrets. The two women form an unlikely bond that crosses class and age, drawing Pilar into questions about duty, memory, and the limits of care. Their alternating moments of tenderness and tension hint at the consequences of a buried past, of choices made long ago, while the present remains stubbornly resistant to neat explanation. The film quietly traces how strangers can shape each others' lives without ever fully explaining why.

Directed by Miguel Gomes, Tabu was released in 2012 as a Portuguese drama that blends intimate character study with a cinematic homage. The screenplay is credited to Gomes and Mariana Ricardo, presenting an original, carefully structured narrative and quiet shifts.

Critics praised its quiet poise and its two part structure, noting how memory and longing thread through ordinary life. The performances of Teresa Madruga and Laura Soveral anchor the drama with restrained emotion, letting implication carry more weight than explicit melodrama, which some found transformative and which invites interpretation today.

Tabu stands out for its painterly approach and a blend of black and white and color that mirrors its shifts between memory and present day. Its patient tone, crisp framing, and practical storytelling have influenced fellow Portuguese auteurs and attracted attention on the art house circuit in contemporary European cinema.

The film drew recognition at international festivals, earning nominations and prizes that highlighted Gomes's inventive approach and its homage to cinema's past, though it did not become a household hit, and its artistry earned steady critical respect. Critics praised its patient pacing, subtle humor, and fearless reflections on memory itself.