What Now? Remind Me, Joaquim Pinto (Portugal, 2013)

Portuguese director Joaquim Pinto poetically, dynamically, and candidly chronicles an entire year of his life as he undergoes experimental treatment and clinical studies for his longtime HIV and VHC infections in this deeply personal documentary. The film takes a meta-view of HIV and other viruses and delves into the challenge of facing one’s own fragility and finding unknown strength to survive. Pinto travels frequently between the quiet of his home in Portugal, which he shares with husband Nuno and their four dogs, to Madrid, for his treatment. Pinto’s collage-style narrative mirrors the sometimes mind-altering side effects of the drugs, traveling fluidly between past and present and provoking an examination of memory and the passage of time, and of people. The scenic road trips with ruggedly handsome Nuno are propelled along by gutsy soundtrack choices—from punk and metal to lush classical string arrangements—to remarkable effect. But it is the brief but transcendent nature close-ups, particularly one with a slug that glistens in the sun as it crawls, and a dragonfly that floats with breathtaking beauty, that truly take this generous story to epic heights of genius. 

—Kevin Schaub

• Photographed by Nuno Leonel, Pinto. (164 mins)