Paulo José

The trajectory and artistic imagery of actor and director Zbigniew Ziembinski (1908-1978), precursor of modern theater in Latin America and master of generations of Brazilian actors. The polyphonic montage builds on vast unpublished material, covering half a century of performances, teletheaters and interviews by Zimba, as he was known – before and after fleeing Poland, on the eve of the invasion of Warsaw – and recreates fragments of Wedding Dress , a play by Nelson Rodrigues which the Polish-Brazilian director won a revolutionary montage in 1943.

Besieged by cancer and nearing the end, the genius Argentine-Brazilian filmmaker Héctor Babenco (1946-2016) asks Bárbara Paz, his wife, for one last wish: to be the protagonist of his own death.

Searching for Makunaima is a cultural and historical account of the most Brazilian character there is in fiction. The film begins with Makunaima, one of the founding myths of the native people from the border between Brazil-Venezuela-Guiana, first captured in the writings of the German ethnographer Koch-Grünberg at the beginning of the 1910s. With interviews in Portuguese, German, Spanish, and in the indigenous languages Macuxi and Taurepang, Searching for Macunaima reclaims this amazing character who represents Brazil in many ways (from literature to cinema to theatre) and remains relevant to date.

"All Paulos in the World" is a cinematographic essay about Paulo José, one of the greatest artists in Brazil, in the year in which he turns 80 years-old.

Two years of research and visits to collections, cinematheques and museums; almost seventy interviews that generated 30 hours of recorded material; more than two hundred scanned photos and more than one hundred films watched. In total, more than a thousand hours of work were needed to prepare Brazilian Cinema in the 20th Century. The work is a fascinating journey through all the cinematic cycles that Brazil lived, from the pioneering Belle Époque, through the great studios like Atlântica and Cinédia, Cinema Novo, the urban comedies of the 70's, until the resumption in the late 90's. The documentary is unique, it gives the floor to who really wrote and lived this story intensely.

Nearly century-old history, Brazilian animation brings rich and stimulating stories and characters that built the path until nowadays.

A film about the reunion of a family broken by the pain and because of the pain can be reunited. An intense story, told in a soft and sensitive way, showing the search and dedication of a man rediscovering family and the love that unites the brothers, finally forming a real family.

The life of the owners of Circus Esperança, Puro Sangue e Pangaré, father and son, who plays two clowns. At a certain point, Pangaré starts showing tiredness and sadness for being an unhappy clown.

Documentary about the brazilian poetess Ana Cristina Cesar, icon of the Mimeógrafo Generation and "Poesia Marginal", books like A Teus Pés, her aspirations, her life e her creative proccess. Artists, friends and researches remembers the poetess.

Friends of the recently deceased Quincas take their pal's body on one last tour of his favorite spots in Brazil's Bahia.

In an empty city, scorched by the sun, the young and old confuse the fever of sunstroke with the delicate birth of passion. Like ghosts, they hover around buildings and endless flatlands in search of the ever elusive love. Inspired by 19th century Russian short stories, the plots weave and unravel together in the improbable city of Brasilia – a distorted mirror-image of the Soviet utopia – located in the heart of the Brazilian desert.

An affective approach to the relationship between Mário Pedrosa, one of the greatest art critics of the 20th century, and some of the most important Brazilian artists takes the viewer on a journey through Brazilian art from the 1950s.

The life of a famous Brazilian film and television actor, including testimonials from people who knew him and worked with him, as well as excerpts from films and videos in which he acted.

Rodrigo and Suzana have started a relationship recently. He's seventy-two, she's sixty, and they are completely in love with each other. Together, they spend days in bed, talking, eating, laughing and making love.

"The Dead Girl's Feast" narrates the story of Santinho, a young man who has been exalted to the position of a saint in a remote riverine community of the upper Amazonas state, after performing a “miracle” upon the suicide of his own mother. The film seeks to be an intimate picture of the ones who are involved in this sect and of the infinite human capacity of “fabricating” faith and seeking for some sense in the horrifying experience of death.

A look into the life and mind of Brazilian playwright and filmmaker Domingos Oliveira through his daily activities and artistic deeds.

David, a man in his twillight years, lives all by himself and decides to invite two childhood friends for a day at his house in Petrópolis, where they spend hours talking about the past.

On the porch of a farm, a woman tells stories while cutting and sewing scraps of cloth, creating images that form a towel. There are four stories of humor and magic. The fisherman's wedding with Iara, a mermaid from the rivers. The altar boy of a church that sees the procession of souls. The encounter between a Santa Claus in a store and a street boy and the adventures of Zé Burraldo, a naive guy who always lets himself be carried away by others.

Person is a documentary about the life and work of filmmaker Luiz Sérgio Person. The documentary brings the reconstruction of the history of the São Paulo filmmaker through the personal journey of his daughter, Marina. Through interviews with friends, family, and people who worked with Person, she seeks to discover more than dates and biographical data.

When they discover their town lacks funding for a sewage system, but does have a federal grant to make a movie, a group of villagers decide to make a sci-fi joint about a monster who lives in the building site of a septic tank.

Ulisses has failed in his professional life, but leads a happy life with his wife Ângela and their two daughters. Until the day he is introduced to Bárbara, a very beautiful woman living in Rio de Janeiro. Ângela becomes her friend and gives her the dress Ulisses had given her. From then on, marital problems arise, and he becomes increasingly attracted to Bárbara.

Benjamim Zambraia is a lonely man, a famous model with a tragic past. Some time in the past, he showed some officers the exact location where the woman he loved was hiding with her guerilla lover. As a result, the two were killed. One day, he casually meets a woman who looks very much like his former love, and this fact changes his life. Could she be the daughter of his great love? Or her reincarnation?

Laura and Alan fall in love, but have to deal with the strange death of Alan's wife and with a rival, Lilith, who wants to break their relationship. At the same time, a narrator gives lessons on how to make a love story movie, exposing all clichés on that kind of film.

Apolônio Brasil was a pianist at a famous nightclub in Rio de Janeiro, from the 1950s until his untimely death. Quite a character, Apolônio was loved by women and idolized by his audience and friends. His contagious joy attracts the attention of American scientist Dr. Boris Lewitsky, who comes to Brazil in order to interview Apolônio's close friends and make them a most unusual offer concerning the remains of the late musician.

André, 19, lives in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and works as a photocopier operator. He likes to see his neighbor Sílvia with a pair of binoculars. She works selling clothes. Becoming attracted to her, he tries to get nearer, and goes to her shop to buy something, but finds out that he can't afford it. So he puts the photocopier to other uses, and begins to envisage fishy schemes to earn some money.

The visits of Brazilian sanitarist Oswaldo Cruz to Amazon in early 20th century.

Couple prepare their "great voyage" in all details, not forgetting the flowers, music and luggage.

A cinematographic essay, without dialogues, about the months Nietszche spent in Turin, Italy, with narration quoted by his original writings.

Policarpo is a chauvinistic patriot, a major who tries to find solutions for Brazilian problems using only the resources of his own country. His visionary and idealistic temperament is behind his strange ideas about how to build a great nation.

Told by gauchos from Brazil, Argentina and Uruguai, the legend says that Anahy de las Missiones wandered around the Plata Basin during the time of Cisplatina War (1825-1828), stealing the dead.

Chronicles the life of military lieutenant, later communist militant and Brazilian politician Luiz Carlos Prestes.

"Portraits and excerpts from Brazilian films from all times. Actors, directors and images that affirm cinema."

The principal character in Helvécio Ratton's delightful film has been adapted from a book and comic created by the Brazilian cartoonist Ziraldo, and tells the tale of a happy-go-lucky 10-year-old child growing up in a city in the 60s.

A funny yet bitter panorama of the several possible viewpoints of this feeling that fulfils hearts and minds.

A documentary about the fathers of Bossa Nova: João Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Peter Mandrake, a North-American photojournalist becomes embroiled in South America's dangerous underworld of pimps, drug gangs and arms smugglers when he sets out to find the killer of a local call girl.

A tomato is planted, harvested and sold at a supermarket, but it rots and ends up in the trash. But it doesn’t end there: Isle of Flowers follows it up until its real end, among animals, trash, women and children. And then the difference between tomatoes, pigs and human beings becomes clear.

Paulo is a rich lawyer who has a happy and comfortable family life, with his kid and very loyal to his wife. But when he finds out that the woman is cheating on him with his business partner and best friend, he decides to execute a perfect plan that involves murdering both and easily getting away with murder. However, Paulo's plans are about to be ruined due to some unpredictable factors involving powerful people, plenty of money, the kidnap of his son and a tenacious inspector following his steps.

Earning her living by dubbing American TV Series, a woman dreams of becoming an international Hollywood star.

The friendship between four men is at stake when one of them is invited to work in another city. But the other three decide to go along.

Evandro Souza is an engineer and travels for the first time to the interior of the country, in the village of Barreira Pequé, on the banks of the Araguaia River. He begins to make friends with the natives of the region, like Marão, but what he did not expect was to be involved in a murder. Evandro was the only witness to the crime committed by Marão, however, when questioned, he does not know what to say. Until there is a meeting between Evandro, Marão and the local corporal.

Fantasy comedy about Brazilian writer Oswald de Andrade, one of the most important icons of Modernism in Brazil. In the film, Oswald is played by two actors: Ítala Nandi, as his feminine anima, and Flávio Galvão, as the masculine half.

Otavio is an idealistic union leader trying to organize workers at a factory to resist the company's exploitative practices. His son, Tião, one of the employees, is more of a realist and doesn't want to risk losing his job by striking. This clash of perspectives puts the father and son at odds. Fortunately, Tião's mother, Romana, is on hand to act as a moderator between the two opinionated men.

Documentary on famous Brazilian actresses, female directors and the role of women in Brazilian film history.

A documentary that presents home movies and several excerpts of known films of famous actress Leila Diniz. Friends of the late actress, tragic killed on a plane crash in 1972, discuss about her life, her work and her legacy in Brazilian culture.

Sought after by several reputable women, a bohemian becomes obsessed with a prostitute.

"A view of São Paulo's rural architecture, from the remains of a sugar mill from the 1500s to a farm at the height of the coffee cycle in 1822. Documentary illustrating Morada Paulista, book by Luis Saia". (ACPJ/CCM)

Set of carioca sketches.

A tireless and incorrigible seducer looks for - and seems to find - the woman of his life.

Heitor and Matilde are two siblings who decide to murder their rich father in order to quickly inherit his wealth. They get the killing done, aided by Matilde's boyfriend Henrique, but after a while the three of them begin to recieve mysterious notes which suggest that their secret is in danger.

In the 1930s, in the South of State of Bahia, Brazil, an adventurer with no name or history, who has already been shot seven times, gets involved in the battle for land and cacao plantations. His plan is to take the place of "Colonel" Santana, taking his wife and money. He starts a bloody conflict, in which many simple people and landowners die.

In the 1930s, in the South of State of Bahia, Brazil, an adventurer with no name or history, who has already been shot seven times, gets involved in the battle for land and cacao plantations. His plan is to take the place of "Colonel" Santana, taking his wife and money. He starts a bloody conflict, in which many simple people and landowners die.

Born a fully grown black man in a village in the Brazilian jungle, Macunaíma later magically transforms into a white man before making an adventure-filled trip to the city of São Paulo. Once there, he becomes something of a dandy, falling in love with Ci, a revolutionary who dies in an accidental bombing. After robbing a ruthless industrialist, Macunaima returns to his village where he finds his newly acquired knowledge and possessions of little use.

During the Brazilian military government, journalist Estêvão is sent from Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia to cover the important statement of a minister, but takes the opportunity to deliver incriminating documents to another one.

An anguished university student in his early 30's ponders the state of his life in light of his relationships with a politicized classmate, a TV actress selling the image of a femme fatale and his bourgeois sister.

A man gets locked naked outside of his apartment.

A volatile young man, Edu is a typical Rio de Janeiro middle-class kind, who flirts with multiple women at the same time. None of them, however, had managed to make him fall in love, until he met with mysterious Tatiana.

Poor and beautiful girl is hired by a sales promoter to advertise a new brand of soap. The success is immediate, but the need for a new face hinders her way to stardom.

Originally produced for German TV, Improvised and Purposeful is a firsthand look at the "Cinema Novo" movement (otherwise known as the 'Brazilian New Wave'). Director Joaquim Pedro de Andrade focuses on six Cinema Novo filmmakers working in Rio in 1967.

In a small town in Minas Gerais, the arrival of a young priest causes a commotion in the conservative atmosphere of the place, aggravated by the sudden attraction this priest feels for a beautiful girl. This forbidden love affair soon turns into an unbridled passion.

Womanizer suddenly finds a woman who makes him change the way he looks at women. He falls in love, and believes she is in fact all women in one. Because of that, he has to face an important decision: to go on with his old life or embrace this special relationship and become a monogamous man.