Discoveries from Brazil World Cinema

History of Renner, football club champion Gaúcho undefeated in 1954. A rescue of the time formed by players, former workers of Renner companies, who overcame Grêmio and Internacional. The feat made alive in the memory of several generations

No measure of hellfire preaching can quell the boisterous and bawdy passions of Maracatu, an Afro-Brazilian burlesque carnival tradition with roots in slavery that takes place in the northeast state of Pernambuco. As the Falstaffian character Tiao, Valmir do Coco leads a nonprofessional cast of authentic Maracatu practitioners in a tale told through dance, music, and the supernatural, set in the sugarcane fields outside Recife.

The sophisticated thief Mão Leve and his simple-minded accomplice Jonjoca take from the rich to give to the poor. Their new mission is raising funds in order Mão Leve's brother can study abroad. But great care must be taken lest the honest boy discovers the origin of the money.

Social media phenomenon Deive Leonardo reflects on God's love, sings and tells stories about the disciple Peter's spiritual journey in this special.

It's the second wave of the COVID pandemic in Rio de Janeiro. There's no water in Madá's old mansion, a sewing cooperative where sheltered LGBTQI+ young people live and work. Renê, one of the residents, paints the anguish of a mysterious spirit that haunts the shelter through the plumbing. Across town, a loner middle-aged plumber, Ismael, is tormented by the same curse.

In the early 2000s, amid the political fervor of the city of Olinda, an unusual clash unfolds in the heart of the most important city in the world. The giant of capitalism, McDonald’s, prepares its arrival. What made Olinda known as the first city in the world to drive a McDonald’s out of business?

Margareth has always dreamed of being an actress, and now believes she has found her greatest opportunity.

A lone receptionist wakes up from her post-lunch nap, her body charged with super static electricity. She needs to get rid of all that energy before she fries all the electronics in the office, and to do that, she turns to the wimpy janitor.

In São Paulo, a businessman wants to rehabilitate street children, called "trombinhas", through a social project. After being discouraged by the police, he seeks help from the coach of the Santos Futebol Clube youth team.

The story of three friends, talking about love and past relationships as they go out on a night in São Paulo.

An elderly couple lives in an abandoned farm. Every night they receive a visit from a young man who comes join them. The past comes to light when the memories of the couple seems to arise from dreams and nightmares.

A film like a monument: Luz nos Trópicos is a tribute to the rich greens of the Amazon and the forests of New England in winter, celebrating the indigenous peoples of continental America and flowing as a film as freely as a winding river.

Stories of love and longing based on the testimonies of five widows of great strongholds of Rio samba who, in an invisible work, became guardians of a fundamental part of Brazilian musical history.

A woman finds herself preparing a piece of meat at the kitchen while disturbing scenes are playing on the TV

Returning early from his vacation after the Carnival period to investigate the murder of a young French tourist, Breno Wanderley is faced with possible reflections of his own history from which he cannot escape. Between Ash Wednesday and post-Carnival Sunday, Breno tries to unravel the crime and sees in his son, also called Breno, a chance to reinvent himself in a broken and sullen city.​

A community of cats lives in the Soledade Cemetery Park in Belém. "7 Vidas" follows these animals through a fictional letter written by one of them to his former owner. With real images of the cats among graves and trees, the film builds a sensitive narrative about abandonment, freedom and memory, revealing the poetry hidden in the coexistence between life and death.

Miguel, a 7-year-old boy, lives with three generations of estranged women in an old house. Among them is his mother who, after a traumatic divorce, distances herself from the boy. Miguel takes comfort in Carmen, an enigmatic Venezuelan immigrant who works as a maid for this Brazilian family. Carmen becomes an ambiguous mother figure for the boy, who develops an intimate and unusual bond with her, introducing him to a universe in which the real and the imaginary intertwine.

When an ocean-fascinated cowboy from the Brazilian backlands discovers that the farm where he has worked all his life will be sold, he abandons everything to, finally, get to know the sea. Guided by an old postcard sent by a long-lost love, he embarks on a quest that will redefine his life.

Dora, a 45-year-old biologist lives alone in an isolated house, where she conducts an ethically questionable research. Looking for a partner she can trust, she hires a new caretaker, Mateus, not realizing that he is also hiding his own secrets. Gradually, the two grow closer and Mateus finally discovers more about Dora's research: human composting. Mateus, who applied for the job in search of his father, who he believes to have worked at the house before disappearing without reporting, confronts Dora, but she manages to lure him like prey into her office, in the Tree House.

Longing for a missed connection, a ghostly link to the past appears.

The story, controversies, victories and defeats of Carlos Marighella, one of the leaders of the armed struggle against the military dictatorship in Brazil.

Ana Catarina returns from Brazil with her father and her nanny to marry a man she doesn't know and doesn't like. A terrible coincidence happens when, on the same day, the young woman becomes a widow and an orphan, a fact that leaves her heir to an incalculable fortune and coveted by all the aristocrats in the region.

Dr. Jegue is a fumbling inventor and scientist, who in his spare time helps his friends Kiko, Sassá, and Quindim in a mechanic's shop. The four are great friends of Carlos Alberto, a stock car driver who suffers from the frames of rival Hugo and his gang. By doing scientific research in his mini-lab, Jegue discovers two powerful formulas: one extracted through the Quince tree, an abundant fictitious plant in the Northeast; and another that turns Dr. Jegue into a big, bearded, moody man with powerful strength. The Marmeleiro formula is tested in a race at the Interlagos Autodrome in the old track and the news of a "new fuel" becomes the main news of the country. Soon, buyers from all over the world come to Brazil to try to buy the formula, offering a lot of money for it, but Jegue, not ambitious, decides not to sell the formula anymore and leaves it in his country.

A former police detective lands a new job at a secret agency, but soon discovers that not everything is as it seems. Haunted by her past after being removed from her position, Bruna must deal with the challenges of her new job, along with her personal traumas.

We’re at a party, time is passing.

In 2008, Sergipe teachers engaged in legal struggle with the state government to prevent the loss of rights already won. 30,000 teachers from all over the state leave their schools and go on a long journey to fight in the capital Aracaju. The challenge is to convince the judges of the Court not to vote for the end of the teaching career. The trial is postponed twice and the battle lasts for a month. In the midst of this struggle between government and teachers, Professor Ana Rosa lives the challenge of being a mother, a woman and a union leader. She needs to reconcile the multiple tasks of professional and domestic life, but her husband's incomprehension and the macho vision of his own mother make his journey even more challenging.

In the late 19th century, Jesuíno Brilhante swears to avenge his cousin, the republican and abolitionist Botelho, who was killed by powerful landlords. Government troops and a rival family unite to hunt down Jesuíno, who has assembled his own band of armed men.

A rich and lonely old man leaves his old mansion in Ouro Preto to his nephew, who moves into it with his wife. But soon enough the house begins to acquire a will of its own, while the man’s personality undergoes a radical transformation, assimilating the habits of the dead uncle.

In colonial Brazil, rich farmer and owner of slaves is blackmailed by a lady; to get rid of the problem, he involves innocent countrymen in a diabolical plan.

A documentary that explores the conflicts between the fear of family repression and the desire for social change by telling the story of the director who, at the age of 18, creates an LGBTQUIA+ struggle movement without his parents knowing.

A radio show by Count Slashula at 'Slash FM', on a Halloween Night, will be presenting and warning viewers about the creepy stories they are about to watch, involving death, blood and some laughs. (inspired by Creepshow and Body Bags)

A group of actors and actresses rehearse play virtually and look for solutions to get around the fact that they cannot meet. Confined at home, they use their own family members on stage. The piece chosen is ÁLBUM DE FAMÍLIA, by Nelson Rodrigues, an attempt to debate the idea of a traditional Brazilian family.

Orlando, a fanatical Juventus fan, wants to indoctrinate his son anyway, as his fanaticism for the small club in Mooca is a family heritage of 3 generations. However, under the influence of friends, the son is tempted to support another club.

A wealthy middle-aged woman unexpectedly finds herself caring for two impoverished young siblings, in this subtle, touching and sincere study of class disparity from Brazilian filmmaker Sandra Kogut.

Bacamarte, a Brazil-born Portuguese (when Brazil was a colony), is a prominent physician whose sincere obsession for discovering a universal method to cure pathological disorders drives inhabitants of the small Brazilian town of Itaguaí to fear, conspiracy, and revolutionary attempts.

A boy dreams of being a man like the ones he lusts for. Does the man he becomes live as he imagined?

A lyrical look at Antonio Nóbrega’s universe. A lifetime’s work that is characterized by the consistent reading of popular culture. A show in which all elements of our culture are mixed together. A musical and visual journey, guided by the characters Joáo Sidurino and Rosalina from the plays Brincante and Segundas Histórias.

Wealthy banker Antônio witnesses the murder of a journalist, who got killed for exposing the activities of a gang of smugglers. After they find out about him, Antônio and his wife are both targeted and pursued by the criminals.

A knight, half soldier, half gaudério, dolphinfish hair in the sun, guitar on his back, enters the sleepy town of Santa Fe. Nobody could imagine that this man was also getting into their lives. Singing and drinking was winning the hearts of women and admiration of men. A storyteller of adventures, wars or lies? Based on the book by Erico Verissimo.

“Ticar Bodó” is an Amazon horror and folk short film. The story follows Jorge, a riverside dweller consumed by the guilt of a childhood trauma that leads him to drown his pain in alcohol and loneliness that made him isolate himself from the world and from his own ghosts, but when destiny makes him meet his own fears that caused all of that, Jorge has to make a choice: fight his own demons or be swallowed by his demons. A dark and atmospheric story about memories, myths and redemption.

Faith, love and lies.

Fernando Grostein Andrade and Fernando Siqueira, an LGBTQIA+ couple, embark on a transformative road trip across Brazil and the United States, traveling through Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, and Utah. Fernando Grostein Andrade confronts complex trauma, while Fernando Siqueira uses music, nature, and eco-therapy to support his healing. Along the journey, they face challenges and intimate moments that test their bond, exploring resilience, connection, and personal growth as they move toward emotional recovery and self-discovery.

In February 2002, my father and his friend embarked on a trip to a small village on the border between Alagoas and Pernambuco in order to document the families of those who had stayed in Curitiba.