Ossos

Ossos (English: "Bones") is a 1997 Portuguese film directed by Pedro Costa. The film was shot in the Fontainhas district of Lisbon (also known as "Estrela d'Africa"), where disadvantaged dwellers and immigrants from former Portuguese colonies in Africa live desperate lives. The story's focus is on a young girl and her lover who become parents of an unwanted baby. Their ambiguous tendencies keep this downbeat story moving around the shanty town. The director's ascetic style and this district's faded cityscape emphasize the depressing tone of the film. This drama film with some documentary elements made Pedro Costa acclaimed internationally. It was nominated for Golden Lion prize at the Venice International Film Festival in 1997. He further dealt with the now-defunct shanty district in his next film, No Quarto da Vanda.