Paula Alves

Pregnant women from the paradise island of Fernando de Noronha, 360km off the Brazilian coast, are separated from their families and workplaces and sent to the mainland 12 weeks before giving birth. Pressure is brought upon those who resist. Their babies are not made welcome in their forebears’ lands. Without any reasonable explanation, the government has been denying the right of permanent residence to children of native people. Meanwhile, tourism is attracting more and more celebrities and outside investors to the island.

The Birth of a baby is a very special moment and it’s no different for the reborn moms, with the difference that their children come by means of storks. This is the name given to artisans who turn vinyl molds into hyper-realistic dolls. The narrative follows as a production line, going through the process of manufacturing, industrial and craft, which gives the dolls hyper-realistic features. And it approaches end consumers, collectors or people who adopt care routines, just like we give away to our children. A film about the pure and simple feeling of motherhood – and the market that grows around it.

The impeachment and removal from office of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in 2016 was triggered by a corruption scandal involving, among others, her then vice-president Michel Temer. Director Maria Augusta Ramos follows the trial against Rousseff from the point of view of her defence team. This is a courtroom drama that unfolds slowly: the appearances of the various parties gradually turn the proceedings into something akin to theatre. Inside the courtroom, grand emotions are played to full effect whilst, on the other side of the doors, lobbyists and supporters pace the corridors. Meanwhile, outside, in front of Brasília’s modernist government buildings, demonstrators are chanting like a Greek chorus. Only the main character, Rousseff herself, remains professional and aloof.

Nowadays technology has become the center of pregnancy experience, guiding expectants steps and dominating their lives during the months of child-bearing. Medical exams have been transformed in a show, motivating a range of fetus souvenirs creations, like pendants and other paraphernalia. Brazil is pioneer in transforming three-dimensional intrauterine images into objects for different purposes.