
Feature documentary (under development)
Diagnosed with breast cancer, Marina leaves to the volcanic archipelago of the Azores, where instability shapes both land and life. Immersing herself in the rhythms of those who stay despite the imminent threat, she weaves together medical archives and geological records, tracing the echoes of past eruptions—both in the earth and within herself. Red Skies is a cinematic reflection on resilience, uncertainty, and the forces that transform us.
Director's Statement
Director's Statement
At the age of 39, I discovered a malignant tumor in the lower corner of my right breast. A few months later, the Anak Krakatau Volcano erupted in Indonesia. Watching successive waves of lava overwhelm the landscape, I felt an unexpected connection between the raw force of nature and the silent transformation happening within my own body. The eruption mirrored the unpredictability of illness—both invisible forces simmering beneath the surface before violently reshaping the world around them. In response, I created a video letter to a dear friend, describing my experience. This act became the spark for Red Skies.
This film arises from an urgent desire to understand how to live after a breast cancer diagnosis. Beyond my own experience, I explore how disease affects women’s lives in ways that extend beyond the body—psychologically, socially, and culturally. Through cinematic language, Red Skies links the ruptures of illness to the geological upheavals of the Earth, drawing connections between the forces of survival and transformation.
Cancer, like a dormant volcano, operates on its own timeline—unseen, building pressure, suddenly breaking through.
A Brazil–Portugal co-production, the feature film unfolded into a multi-channel video installation with immersive sound design. The immersive environment invites contemplation, not only of mortality and fragility, but of resistance, silence, and embodiment.
Estimated Release: 2027
Directed by: Marina Thomé www.marinathome.com.br
Produced by: Marcia Mansur
supported by
Directed by: Marina Thomé www.marinathome.com.br
Produced by: Marcia Mansur
supported by
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Portuguese Society of Authors (SPA)
Arché – Project Development Lab
DokLab Navarra
Avista Vulcão Residency
Portuguese Society of Authors (SPA)
Arché – Project Development Lab
DokLab Navarra
Avista Vulcão Residency
PITCHED AT
Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival — awarded by the Documentary Association of Europe at New Visions Europe
Punto de Vista Festival
EXPANDED DOCUMENTARY DEVELOPED WITH THE SUPPORT OF
Lisbon City Council
Directorate-General for the Arts (DGARTES/Portugal)
Champalimaud Foundation
Arquipélago – Contemporary Arts Center
Ribeira Grande City Council
National Museum of Natural History and Science (Lisbon)
Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival — awarded by the Documentary Association of Europe at New Visions Europe
Punto de Vista Festival
EXPANDED DOCUMENTARY DEVELOPED WITH THE SUPPORT OF
Lisbon City Council
Directorate-General for the Arts (DGARTES/Portugal)
Champalimaud Foundation
Arquipélago – Contemporary Arts Center
Ribeira Grande City Council
National Museum of Natural History and Science (Lisbon)

