MAGNOLIA

This time, an ancestral dance unfolds on the screen, one whose origins are unknown, and whose invitation remains a mystery. It is a harmonious choreography, but one of strength, for it captivates him while resisting him. The dance of a plant swayed by the wind – but it is never just that...

"The dance is mysterious because we do not know where it begins or where it ends. Who extended the invitation, and who accepted to dance. But there they are, occupying their stage: he, blowing gently and challenging her to balance on her feet; she, enchanting him with her graceful movements in a harmonious choreography of strength and delicacy. He, the wind, will never be the stronger element in this relationship. Because it is she who has her roots deeply embedded in the soil, and it is she who leaves her body toward the sky – elegant, yet robust – holding her branches filled with green leaves and, in those special days of the year, blossoms that bloom delicate yet exuberant, sophisticated yet so simply beautiful. With an intoxicating fragrance, vibrant, impossible to ignore. It is in this paradox that her uniqueness resides, enabling her to devise strategies to face adversities and the complexity of each new day. An immense strength hides behind – or is it within? – her delicate appearance. A strength that allows her to withstand storms, overcome hardships, and, despite it all, continue to grow and bloom year after year, often in silence but always with unwavering resilience. Each one has her story, her particular grace that brings beauty to the world and inspires empathy, compassion, the desire for equality, and the relentless pursuit of freedom for each and every one – like an ancient sisterhood. There is an invisible thread that unites and balances them, keeping each one standing even when the wind blows harder, the earth decides to tremble, or the sky awakens in fury. Her name is Magnolia – with an M, like Woman."*

*The author draws a parallel with the word mulher (woman), which in Portuguese begins with the same letter as the flower magnolia.