Reteté (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

Set in the 1990s, Reteté follows a mother who challenges the church, her family and her faith after her daughter is medicated into obedience. Written and directed by Donna Oliveira, this 17-minute Portuguese short centers on a deeply personal struggle over identity, control and parental love.

Reteté is a 2026 Portuguese-language short film written and directed by Donna Oliveira. Set in the 1990s, it focuses on a mother confronting the forces that have changed her daughter into the obedient child demanded by her church.

With a runtime of 17 minutes, the film presents a concentrated family and religious conflict. Its premise places one woman’s attempt to reclaim her daughter at the center of a challenge involving her congregation, relatives and God.

Reteté movie details

Story without spoilers

The story follows a radiant, strong-willed girl whose behavior is altered through medication until she conforms to the expectations of her church. Disturbed by what has happened to the daughter she remembers, her mother begins confronting the structures surrounding them.

That struggle extends beyond the congregation. The mother must also face opposition within her family and reckon with her own relationship to God. The available premise frames Reteté as an intimate conflict between parental protection and the pressure to enforce obedience.

What to expect

Reteté can be approached as a short dramatic film built around family tension, religious authority and a mother’s determination to recover a sense of who her daughter is. Its 17-minute format suggests a focused presentation rather than an expansive account of the period or the characters’ lives.

The 1990s setting and Portuguese dialogue provide the film’s cultural and temporal context, while the central premise raises questions about conformity, medication and the cost of treating difference as disobedience. Specific stylistic or tonal details are not provided.

Cast and creative team

Donna Oliveira serves as both director and writer of Reteté. The cast includes Elisa Navarro Bertelli, Bárbara Colen, Tairone Vale, Elidio Netto, Cláudia Raggi Abikair, Verônica Gomes, Pedro Panzera and Amanda Cândido. No character assignments are supplied for the performers.

• Elisa Navarro Bertelli
• Bárbara Colen
• Tairone Vale
• Elidio Netto
• Cláudia Raggi Abikair
• Verônica Gomes
• Pedro Panzera
• Amanda Cândido

Release and production context

Reteté is listed as a 2026 release with a release date of October 2, 2026. It has a runtime of 17 minutes and is in Portuguese. The short is produced by Pique-Bandeira Filmes and Ventania Filmes. No country of production or distribution information is provided.

Production companies: Pique-Bandeira Filmes, Ventania Filmes

Movies Dock view

Reteté is a compact drama about a mother refusing to accept a version of her daughter shaped by religious and social demands. With Donna Oliveira handling both the writing and direction, the film centers its brief running time on a clear emotional and moral confrontation.

Film data:
TMDB