Alex

The film does not include explicit representations of LGBTQ+ identities or queer narratives. Instead, it focuses on the dissolution of family dynamics and the void left by absent parents.

The director shifts the focus of creative control within the 1990s Portuguese context. By emphasizing the absence of authority figures, the film deconstructs traditional patriarchal roles.

The movie includes a significant post-colonial subtext through the disappearance of parents in Africa. This highlights the complexities of Portugal's colonial past and its impact on family life.

The film critiques the stability of Western institutions by depicting the family as a source of psychological struggle. It explores urban alienation and the breakdown of traditional social structures.

The narrative focuses on existential and socioeconomic struggles without representing specific disabilities. Characters with neurodivergence or physical disabilities are not given significant roles.