The First Death of Joana

When her great-aunt dies at age 70 without having dated anyone, teenager Joana starts to ask herself: why does every woman in her family keep secrets? While she experiences her coming of age - the craving for intimate contact, the awkwardness of her first kiss - , Joana explores the world around her. She finds herself questioning her female role models - her mysterious aunt, her own mother, her grandmother - and the traditional values of the provincial community she lives in. As Joana explores her family history and begins to uncover her aunt’s story and stories of the other women in her life, she discovers new truths about them and herself. This film is a feminine journey of knowledge and heritage, of questioning old habits and patterns and self-discovery.