![© The End of Suffering (A Proposal) (Jacqueline Lentzou, 2020)](/sites/default/files/2024-07/theendofsufferingstill.jpg)
The End of Suffering (A Proposal)
Sofia is panicky again. The Universe decides to contact her—an other-worldly dialogue. Lentzou’s short film is a planet symphony for Mars, where people dream awake and fight for love.
“In The End of Suffering (A Proposal), Sofia hears the comforting voice of the universe that counters the endless gloom that has taken the best of her. This earthly suffering leads her to a newfound home: Mars. Unbeknownst to Sofia, this is, in fact, her place of birth. She learns her discomfort may stem from displacement, and she rekindles a sense of belonging to others.
“Is there life on Mars?” Unlike the David Bowie song, Lentzou’s film offers a clear vision of the different possibilities of life on the Red Planet. Lentzou presents Mars in more detail than ever before: a fertile terrain that dismantles preconceived notions from the past and proposes a new understanding of our future. On this planet, life (not death) blooms, and love (not war) prevails. A lively dream that easily hooks us to the silver screen.” — Teresa Vieira
The End of Suffering (A Proposal) was hand-picked by Teresa Vieira, as a response to Vanessa del Campo’s Mars, Oman. Vieira is a film journalist, critic, and Artistic Director of BEAST International Film Festival in Portugal.
Oman’s vast plains look so much like Mars that they are used as a training ground for astronauts. Two local girls gaze at the starry sky like curious scientists while the astronauts philosophise about living on the Red Planet.