Portuguese filmmaker Pedro Costa revisits the slums of Lisbon for this cascading narrative that follows Ventura, a Cape Verdean laborer, as he moves from his home in the dilapidated quarter to a stark new low-cost housing complex. Ventura’s story expands to those around him, the various lost souls he befriends during the move who willingly unload their burdens onto him. Pared down from 320 hours of raw footage to a 2.5-hour feature, Colossal Youth was one of the most debated films at Cannes this year, where it competed for the Golden Palm Award.

“It is quite unlike anything that you or I have ever seen before.” — LA Weekly