Santiago

In 1992, João Moreira Salles started making a film about Santiago, the butler who had been working for his parents since his childhood. Thirteen years later, Salles looked back at the unused material on the flamboyant servant, who by that time had passed away. From these images, Salles made a documentary about an extraordinary man who, in addition to his demanding work for the prosperous family, was equally conscientious in dealing with his personal labor: collecting, arranging, interpreting and documenting information about the history of all great and wealthy families in the world. Together with the director's brother's voice-over, Santiago's detailed memories and erudite contemplations offer reflections on identity, memory and the nature of documentaries. The nostalgic character of the film comes across even stronger with the old black-and-white footage—scenes that were shot in Santiago's kitchen or in front of the bookcase where he kept his life's work. Here, Salles shows us the repeated takes, including his own directing instructions. During the course of the documentary, he gradually finds out why this is his only unfinished film.