Country: Brazil

Direction Fernando Meirelles · Kátia Lund

Cast Alexandre Rodrigues · Leandro Firmino · Phellipe Haagensen · Douglas Silva

Synopsis City of God (2002) is a gripping narrative set in a Rio de Janeiro housing project, initially constructed in the 1960s, which by the early 1980s had evolved into one of the city's most perilous locales. The film weaves together...

Direction Jorge Furtado

Synopsis Isle of Flowers (S) (1989) is a 1989 Brazilian short film directed by Jorge Furtado. This documentary follows the journey of a tomato from its origin in a garden to its final destination in a landfill, utilizing a monotonous voiceover...

Direction Eduardo Coutinho

Synopsis Twenty Years Later (1984) is a renowned 1984 Brazilian documentary film, directed by Eduardo Coutinho, which has gained significant acclaim. Initially conceived in 1964 as a narrative feature about João Pedro Teixeira, a prominent leader of the Peasant Leagues from...

Direction Eduardo Coutinho

Direction Fernando Meirelles · Kátia Lund · Regina Casé · Paulo Morelli

Cast Darlan Cunha · Douglas Silva · Jonathan Haagensen · Camila Monteiro

Synopsis City of Men (TV Series) (2002) is a compelling Brazilian television series that aired from 2002 to 2018, spanning 6 seasons and 27 episodes. This unique take on the Latin American telenovela format presents life in Rio de Janeiro through...

Direction José Padilha

Cast Wagner Moura · Caio Junqueira · André Ramiro · Fernanda Machado

Synopsis Elite Squad (2007) presents a gripping portrayal of the security landscape in Rio de Janeiro, spanning from 1997 to the present. The film delves into the challenges faced by the military police, who are often under-resourced by the government and...

Direction Walter Salles

Cast Fernanda Montenegro · Vinicius de Oliveira · Marilia Pêra · Soia Lira

Synopsis Central Station (1998) follows the story of Dora, a stern and bitter elderly woman employed at a bustling Rio de Janeiro train terminal. Her job involves composing and dispatching letters for clients, a task she performs with a cold detachment,...

Direction Eliza Capai

Cast Marcela Jesus · Nayara Souza · Lucas 'Koka' Penteado

Direction Gonzaga Blota · Jayme Monjardim · Marcos Paulo · Paulo Ubiratan

Cast José Wilker · Lima Duarte · Regina Duarte · Maurício Mattar

Synopsis Roque Santeiro (TV Series) (1985) spans 209 episodes, airing from 1985 to 1986. The story revolves around a man presumed deceased, who returns to his hometown to find that the locals have begun venerating him as a saint. The narrative...

Direction Paulo Sacramento

Synopsis Prisoner of the Iron Bars (2003) offers an unfiltered glimpse into the Brazilian prison system, focusing on the Carandiru Penitentiary in São Paulo, just a year before its demolition. Directed by Paulo Sacramento, the documentary empowers inmates to capture their...

Direction Walter Salles

Cast Fernanda Torres · Selton Mello · Fernanda Montenegro · Luiza Kosovski

Synopsis I'm Still Here (2024) follows the compelling narrative inspired by Marcelo Rubens Paiva's acclaimed memoir. The story unfolds in Brazil, 1971, as a woman is thrust into the world of activism after her husband is seized by a repressive military...

Direction Eduardo Coutinho

Synopsis Edificio Master (2002) follows filmmaker Eduardo Coutinho and his crew as they spend a week engaging in conversations with 27 inhabitants of a vast apartment complex in Copacabana. The residents include a middle-aged pair who initially connected through newspaper classifieds,...

Direction José Padilha · Felipe Lacerda

Direction Roberto Berliner

Cast Glória Pires · Simone Mazzer · Julio Adrião · Claudio Jaborandy

Synopsis Nise: The Heart of Madness (2015) unfolds a remarkable tale set in 1950s Brazil, where renowned modern art museums welcomed previously unknown artists, sparking a cultural phenomenon. Critics hailed these exhibitions as showcasing some of the finest Brazilian artists of...

Direction Anselmo Duarte

Cast Norma Bengell · Leonardo Villar · Glória Menezes · Dionísio Azevedo

Synopsis The Given Word (Keeper of Promises) (1962) follows the story of Ze, a humble man residing in the countryside of Brazil, who holds his donkey in the highest regard. When the donkey falls ill, Ze fervently prays for its recovery...

Direction Teresa Lampréia · Jayme Monjardim · Marcos Schechtman

Cast Thiago Lacerda · Giovanna Antonelli · Werner Schünemann · Camila Morgado

Synopsis A Casa das Sete Mulheres (TV Series) (2003) delves into the tumultuous period of Brazil's most significant civil war, as seen through the eyes of seven women from the family of a prominent separatist leader. The series offers a unique...

Direction Fabiano Maciel

Cast Oscar Niemeyer · Eduardo Galeano · Chico Buarque de Hollanda · José Saramago

Direction Eduardo Coutinho

Synopsis Playing (2007) explores the lives of everyday women who respond to a newspaper advertisement and share their personal narratives with director Eduardo Coutinho. These stories are then brought to life through performances by actresses, creating a unique interplay between reality,...

Direction José Padilha

Cast Wagner Moura · Irandhir Santos · André Ramiro · Maria Ribeiro

Synopsis Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within (2010) follows the aftermath of a violent operation by the BOPE in the high-security Bangu 1 Penitentiary in Rio de Janeiro, where Lieutenant-Colonel Roberto Nascimento and his second-in-command, Captain André Matias, face accusations of...

Direction João Moreira Salles

Synopsis In the Intense Now (2017) is a thought-provoking documentary by Brazilian filmmaker João Moreira Salles that interweaves a rich collection of archival materials capturing the pivotal events of Paris in 1968. The film contrasts these historical moments with amateur footage...