User reviews

This film tells the story of Gracinda, a young laundress it manages, together with her godfather Jacinto, a wash-clothing business in a river on the outskirts of Lisbon. Directed by Chianca de Garcia, this film has script by Ramada Curto and José Gomes Ferreira, and cast led by Beatriz Costa (as Gracinda) and Manuel Santos Carvalho (as Jacinto).

Its one of most classic films of early days of Portuguese cinema, and its considered timeless and very appreciated in Portugal. Some of its scenes and songs are well-known in the country, especially "Água Fria da Ribeira", sung by Beatriz Costa, actress which will have her final consecration in this film. The film portrays realities that, at the time, were very close to people, starting with the washerwomen and the custom of washing clothes in river, something that has long ceased to be done, not only for environmental reasons but mainly for the popularization of home appliances. Therefore, this film surpasses the seventh art and turns out to be an historical document, a portrait of a society, a time and location. The ingenuity of this film, coupled with the relative inexperience of some actors with cinema (most of them is used to act in theater) make this film delicious and illustrative than were the first steps of cinema in Portugal.