Based on real-life Brazilian bandit "Mineirinho", the film follows the story of Zezé, a man falsely accused by sensasionalist press of being a high-caliber criminal who suddenly becomes one of the most wanted men of Rio de Janeiro.
Banned by Brazil’s Federal Department of Public Safety, Rio, 40 Graus is a landmark film that ushered in the wave of Cinema Novo in Brazil. The film chronicles a day in the life of five peanut vendors from Rio de Janeiro's favelas. This was one of the first Brazilian films to address the issues of race, poverty, and class.
