Zezé Motta

In a small village, a lonely fisherman yearning for a son is drawn to an ethereal light that links him to others and their long-buried secrets.

No description available.

No description available.

A documentary film about the taboos, stereotypes, and struggles of black actors in Brazilian television "soaps". Based on his own memories and on a sturdy body of research evidence, the director analyses race relations in Brazilian soap operas, calling attention to their likely influence on Brazilian African-Americans' identity-forming processes.

No description available.

Based on the biography of Luiz Gama, one of the most important characters in Brazilian history, a black man who used the laws and courts to free more than 500 slaves. Born of a free womb, Gama was sold into slavery at the age of 10 to pay off his father's gambling debts. Even as a slave, he became literate, studied and earned his own freedom, becoming one of the most respected lawyers of his time. An abolitionist and republican who inspired an entire country.

When Maurício becomes a student at a top medical school, he becomes obsessed with a mystery linked to the dead bodies used for dissection.

Luiz Gonzaga decides to change his destiny and leaves his childhood home for the big city to overcome a romance. When he arrives, he meets a woman he falls in love with, the Odaleia (Nanda Costa). After the birth of his son and his wife's health complications, he decides to return to the road to ensure a better future for his son. He has a friend in Rio de Janeiro and with him leaves the little one and heads to Brazil. He didn't imagine that this distance between them would develop into a complicated relationship, enhanced by the strong personalities of both. Based on conversations between father and son, this is the story of Luiz Gonzaga, a singer and accordion player known as Rei do Baião or Gonzagão.

Mulher 80 emerged as a result of the success of 'Malu Mulher' (1979), a miniseries starring Regina Duarte, which addressed the female situation in Brazilian society at that time. The main focus of the special was the female presence in music, honouring the singers and songwriters of MPB with musical numbers and testimonials.

Filmmaker Sandra Werneck interviews remarkable women such as Marieta Severo, Zezé Motta, Margareth Dalcolmo, Conceição Evaristo, Denise Werneck, and Iole de Freitas for a journey of shared experiences that challenge stereotypes of female aging. From work to love life, from health to sexuality, these women share their stories, reflections, and life lessons, offering inspiration and raising questions about what truly matters when one reaches maturity, while also highlighting the hardships and misfortunes of aging.

Cyrus, Tim and Erik were high school buddies and meet again ten years later. They spend the summer together in Brazil. All of them are occupied in dealing with experiences from their past but new developments make them face their inner conflicts and their friendship with each other

Free adaptation of Machado de Assis's short story "Pai Contra Mãe", having some of Nireu Cavalcanti's 18th Century chronicles as inspiration, the film traces parallels between life in during the slavery period and in modern Brazil.

The death of the matriarch on Christmas eve provokes a crisis that makes the family review attitudes and give a new meaning to the date.

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

A film on the feud between samba songwriters Noel Rosa and Wilson Batista.

No description available.

Carolina Maria de Jesus. Her favela diary was a success in 1960. Despite her recognition, she died forgotten and poor.

After her grandmother’s death, Ana finds herself adrift. Following the clues left by her late grandmother, Ana arrives in Belo Horizonte and meets Alice. As they make sense of the city’s layout and their memories, Ana and Alice will discover what it means to become who they are.

Nopumoceno, the most successful businessman in the Cabo Verde archipelogo, is an ambitious, clever opportunist, known during his lifetime as "eternity single". However, he is then discovered by his illegitimate daughter to have gotten his fortune and his women in unorthodox and incredible ways

During the slavery period in Brazil, a sugar cane farm was the stage for the darkest kinds of horrors. Years later, the place's cruel past is still stained in its walls, even if unnoticed, until a series of strange events starts happening and death returns to the farm. The film is divided in five short horror stories.

A Cat from outer-space comes to earth and befriends a Miller's Son and together they set out to defeat an evil wizard.

Dr. Ferrão, a famous psychoanalyst, uses his daily column on a newspaper to atract women to his practice.

No description available.

Thousands of Brazilian women have contributed to the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic thanks to a solidarity network of mask making and donations. Eight women seamstresses - quilombolas, indigenous, riverside, and peripheral - reveal how they came together to survive, ensure income generation and food security for their families, filling gaps left by the State.

Rio's criminal underworld is run by an unexpected boss: a femme Queen with a taste for power and violence. But heavy lies the crown: what Queen can trust her subjects, however fabulous? When she sets up a stoolie to take the fall for her boy, a plot against Her Majesty arises!

Tonho Tiê really likes living free, playing capoeira and drinking. During Carnival he meets beautiful Zulmira; they pledge love and projects for many children. But time passes and Tonho returns to being the womanizer he had always been. Zulmira, daughter of Iansã, cannot stand Tonho's brazenness, and asks her saint-mother to wash her honor with blood.

After a violent civil war, D. Miguel, the last Portuguese absolutist king, is defeated by the liberals, led by his brother D. Pedro. In 1834 D. Miguel left for exile. His supporters don't give up on returning him to the throne. Willing to do anything they even try to use the slaves of the colonies. A mysterious emissary is sent to Cape Verde to prepare an uprising. But other reasons were behind his visit to the archipelago ....

A deep dive into Afro-Brazilian culture, exploring the trajectory of soul music in Brazil from the late 1960s to its peak at "black balls" in the following decades. Through the lens of intellectuals such as Beatriz Nascimento, Lélia Gonzalez, and Edneia Gonçalves, the documentary recovers and celebrates the importance of these parties as spaces of resistance and affirmation of Black identity in Brazil, connecting Quilombola traditions to contemporary urban culture.

The son of a millionaire who owns gold mines in Transopia, Africa, Antoine Leblanc, who lives in a mansion in Rio, one day receives a letter from his father asking him for help against the gold smugglers from Transopia to Brazil.

No description available.

Many exotic characters meet in São Paulo night, looking for love and adventure: Malu, a model; Mauro, a drag queen; Teddy, a hustler; Guto, a gay reporter; and Marta, an actress.

No description available.

Fiction based on a true story of Brazilian workers and people living near a pesticide plant, first owned by Shell and then by BASF, that suffered cancers and other severe health problems as a result of land and groundwater contamination around the plant and their fight for justice.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, a defeat in the 4x100 relay final forever marks the lives of the athletes. Three years later, Maria Lúcia, responsible for the elimination, continues to shine in athletics and in the media, while Adriana, who worked hard in the competition, lives frustrated by small MMA fights. In 2020, they have a new chance to rewrite the story at the Tokyo Olympics.

A kingdom of fruits. A king with no strength to keep ruling. An orphan prince who does not accept his fate. A world at imminent risk. These are some of the ingredients of Abah, an adventure movie full of humor, in which we can follow the young Pineapple prince’s trajectory and his conflicts with his dreams and responsibilities. It is a story of acceptance and personal growth. A portrait of a brief moment of prince Abah’s life: a transition from his unripe childhood to the new colors of maturity.

Rejane returns to her hometown, Paraíso, in search of answers to her brother's murder.

Adaptation and unification in a single story of several stories by the writer Rubem Fonseca, where the theme of violence in contemporary society is explored.

New Rio, 2054 AD. The Order of Truth wreaks havoc on the streets, killing every being that has special powers. Renowned witch Dahlia is determined to beat the Order and assembles a clan of trans and queer people, each with their own supernatural talent. The fate of the city is in their hands.

Carmen lives her last day of freedom before her husband leaves prison.

A simple woman finds herself trapped in a toxic marriage, living a daily journey of submission and unhappiness. With few social ties and no future prospects, she looks for a job to become independent.

Pasqualina, 91, is an old lady full of life who lives in a nursing home after having lost all her relatives. In a sunny day, she decides to run away from there: she wants to find a former love she had long lost sight of. In this journey, Pasqualina ends up meeting Petrolina, nicknamed Pety, an 8 years old dreamy girl, that resents the fact of not having a grandmother. The friendship changes their lives, and Pety, surprisingly, tries to adopt Pasqualina.

A senator having contacts with illegal betting activities is killed by the man who is his right arm, who wanted to get his position. But the power structure resents this disturbance and can fall apart, specially since there's a witness.

'The Last Party' is a young romantic comedy that follows a group of four friends at their high school graduation party. Each protagonist with their love dilemma to solve throughout the night, all connected by the issues of this generation. It's their last night as teenagers. The last night with friends before being separated by different colleges. The last night before the rest of their lives.

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

No description available.

When Alex and Eva choose to exchange vows at the very spot they first crossed paths, a series of hilarious missteps derails their journey to the altar.

Middle-class family reform their apartment, and the noise, the contact with the workers and strange occurrences turn what was supposed to be a trivial matter into a trip to hell.

Kira, a botanist who is also the daughter of elves, must fight the evil wicked witch Algaz. In her quest, Kira will be helped by Epifania, agood witch, elf Daphnis and even Queen Dara, the fairy mother.

This biopic documents the life and work of one of Brazil’s most prolific artists: Milton Gonçalves. This actor and director are credited with more than sixty television titles, seventy movies and twenty plays. Known from classic full-length features like Macunaíma, They Don't Wear Black Tie and Kiss of the Spider Woman, his dramatic versatility also encompasses major Brazilian soap operas, including O Bem Amado and Roque Santeiro. With his talent, he overcame barriers faced by many Black performers in Brazil. An active on-screen and on-stage presence since the 1950s, his name is synonymous with the history of Brazilian television, theatre and cinema, making him a landmark talent in the performing arts world.

This documentary investigates the aesthetic, political and existential trajectory of emblematic Black Brazilian actor Antônio Pitanga. His career spans over five decades, and he has worked with iconic Brazilian filmmakers Glauber Rocha, Cacá Diegues and Walter Lima Jr. He was a prominent figurehead and outspoken activist during the Brazilian dictatorship, a period of unrest in Brazilian cinema. "Pitanga" deep dives into the world of Antônio and the history of Brazil. The documentary was directed by his daughter Camila Pitanga, one of widely recognised faces in Brazilian television and cinema right now. The film is also a poem, and a tender ode to fatherhood.

No description available.

No description available.

Deep in the Amazon rain forest, there is a lost subterranean city. The place was built by Vikings who crossed the Atlantic Ocean and ventured up the Amazon River, and shelters a mysterious treasure. In order to find the secret location, Bárbara and the children Riacho and Manhã will have to face many challenges. Vicious snakes and dangerous pendulum blades are only the beginning of our heroes' adventures.

A beautifully told story using archival footage to explore the life of Grande Otelo, a groundbreaking Black Brazilian actor. Overcoming poverty and racism, he built a stellar career, facing controversy yet using it to challenge prejudice.

The Devil himself comes to Earth to open his own church and the world becomes a pandemonium of delights and confusions. Based on a short story by Machado de Assis, the most famous realistic Brazilian writer of the XIX century.

Larissa competed for the Rio Military Police in search of the ideal of “protecting the citizen”.

Two sisters are newly married; Guida to Paulo and Lígia to Décio. They spend their honeymoon in the apartment, a gift from the father of the brides. They will live there. Just a wall separating the intimacy of the two couples. Guida and Paulo are very happy. But on the other side of the wall; Ligia and Decius were never able to consummate their marriage. Decius is impotent and Ligia decides to commit suicide. To avoid the tragedy Guida, asks her own husband Paul to sleep with her sister for one night to help her losing her virginity. But when they continue to see each other, Guida gets jealous.

Orfeu is a popular composer from a samba school. He lives in the favela and falls madly in love when he meets Euridice, a newcomer to the neighborhood. But the local drug boss Lucinho stands between them and will drastically change both their lives.

Quilombo dos Palmares was a real-life democratic society, created in Brazil in the 17th century. This incredibly elaborate (and surprisingly little-known) film traces the origins of Quilombo, which began as a community of freed slaves. The colony becomes a safe harbor for other outcasts of the world, including Indians and Jews. Ganga Zumba (Toni Tornado) becomes president of Quilombo, the first freely elected leader in the Western Hemisphere. Naturally, the ruling Portuguese want to subjugate Zumba and his followers, but the Quilombians are ready for their would-be oppressors. The end of this Brave New World is not pleasant, but the followers of Zumba and his ideals take to the hills, where they honor his memory to this day. Writer/director Carlos Diegues takes every available opportunity to compare the rise and fall of Quilombo with the state of affairs in modern-day Brazil.

Through rare and striking footage from her own films, Eunice Gutman Has Stories revisits the journey of one of the pioneers of feminist cinema in Brazil. This is a tribute to the director, who will celebrate 50 years of work and 85 years of life in 2026.

Biography of one of the legendary names in the Samba genre of Brazilian music. Although he could hardly dance or play an instrument, he became one of the main composers of Portela, an important Samba "school" in Rio de Janeiro.

Iolanda, a widow who is the matriarch of a large and complicated family, is the hostess of a large party in a mansion that brings back many memories. The celebration is marked by a barbecue with lots of gossip and fun among old friends.

The romanced story of Xica da Silva, a slave that used her "feminine atributes" in order to get power.

Valentim, Kodak and Eddie have known each other since they were little and are shopkeepers at Galeria Futuro, a shopping center in Copacabana that boasted luxury and pomp in its past, and which today, is nothing more than a sad and decaying place. Full of debts and on the verge of bankruptcy, the gallery's management is surprised by a millionaire proposal from a Pastor, who wants to transform the space into an Evangelical Church. The three friends are devastated by the possibility of losing the much-loved Galeria Futuro, but with the help of Paula, a newly arrived shopkeeper, they will create a wild and surreal plan to try to save the Gallery and prevent its sale.

A light-hearted and high-spirited story, full of spice, sensuality and romance, Viva Zapato tells the tale of Dolores, a beautiful Cuban dancer who decides to leave her failing marriage and open a restaurant by the beach with her aunt from Brazil. When her aunt sends her a pair of shoes instead of the money to start up the restaurant, she angrily sells the useless gift for spare change. Her dream fades away - until she discovers that the money was hidden in the heel. The zany search for the shoes begins, as she follows the footsteps through the lively streets of Havana, running into the quirky, colorful characters that bring Viva Zapato and Dolores' dream.

No description available.

After being exiled for 26 years, Tieta returns to her native village in Bahia, bringing chaos and upheaving the local order.

Passionate about the magic of cinema and historically imposed on a place of invisibility, prejudices and stereotypes, how can women challenge, break with oppression, look after precious archives, play remarkable characters, produce and direct successful films? The documentary illuminates the trajectories of dreams, challenges and victories of talented Brazilian women in our audiovisual sector.

Having come out recently from jail, a tramp, willing to make quick money, decides to organize a pool match between two famous retired players.

A young and sensitive couple's impossible love affair.

The troubles of a separated couple, the adventures of a bookseller in the home of a lascivious woman, and the confusion of a businessman from São Paulo.

No description available.

Poor people who live in the slums in Rio de Janeiro decide to occupy an empty apartment building in the rich part of the city. Meanwhile, a rich girl falls in love with a poor composer. Based on the musical play "Pobre Menina Rica", by Vinícius de Moraes and Carlos Lyra.

A movie about Banda de Ipanema, one of Rio de Janeiro’s most traditional Carnaval blocks, and its founder Albino Pinheiro.

"Todas as Melodias" is a sensible journey throught the life and works of one of Brazilian music's biggest artists, Luiz Melodia. Featuring archive footage that goes back to the 1970s, the film presents the musician's cronology from his youth in the neighborhood of Estácio, Rio de Janeiro to his estabilished success.

Through clippings, the film draws a narrative line between the construction of racism in Brazil and the United States, having as base the European invasion of the continent, police violence, the genocide of the black people, the massacre of indigenous peoples, religious violence, the criminalization of funk music, structural racism in art and education, the importance of quota policy and the need urgent historical repair as a commitment by the Brazilian state to the black people.

No description available.

Based on the book O Fantástico Mistério de Feiurinha, the story combines real world and fantasy, dream and determination, with a surprising end, even for a fairy tale. The movie shows the fight of the fairy tale characters, now adults, who come together to recover the fable of the Little Ugly Princess, a beautiful Princess with a strange name, which only makes sense for those who know her story. The problem is that children and adults have forgotten the story of the Little Ugly Princess, which is as wonderful as other major fables for children. Cinderella brings together other fairy tale characters to meet the writer who keeps, lost in a small notebook, the Little Ugly Princess story.

Heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Lucebra, Prince Lu lives carefreely, playing pranks on his family and friends. However, according to legend, when he turns 18, he will confront the mysterious Evil Dragon and save the people of Middle Earth. Despite the prophecy, he doesn't believe in the imminent danger and prefers to "troll" his sister, the Enchanted Princess (Gi Alparone), and everyone working in the palace.

Biographical film of Sister Dulce, who, in life, was called the “Good Angel of Bahia”, also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and canonized by the Catholic Church. Contemplating from the 1940s to the 1980s, the film shows how the Catholic nun faced an incurable respiratory disease, machismo, the indifference of politicians and even the dogmas of the Church to dedicate her life to the care of the miserable, leaving a legacy that continues today.

No description available.

The story of the great train robber Ronald Biggs.

No description available.

All the lives of Cora Coralina in a poetic narrative in the voices, feelings and interpretations of six generations of great Brazilian actresses. A polyphony of the voices that inhabited Cora, revealed in prose, verse and images with its immense literary talent and human content. The film reveals the trajectory of Cora Coralina, from her childhood years to getting married and leaving Goiás, from the long period of 45 years lived in different cities in the state of São Paulo and her return to the City of Goiás, when she revealed herself to Brazil with the strength of his poetry.

An industrial couple spends more than they can afford. In financial trouble, the husband Afraninho devises a strange kind of business, for foreign executives, in which the product is his own wife Malu. They succeed, and soon other couples start doing the same thing, establishing the competition.

The life and work of Zezé Motta.

A sound and visual journey that portrays the life and work of singer and composer Luiz Melodia. The Poet of Estácio himself tells us, in the first person, his trajectory as a black boy born on the hill until his transformation into one of the greatest artists in the history of MPB. The film also features an unpublished collection made available by Jane Reis, his wife and businesswoman.

What does Brazilian cinema tell us? What does Brazilian cinema tell us about black actresses and actors? ‘Pressed, Ripped Apart’ makes use of archival sources to retrieve the trajectory of black actresses and actors who, between absences and delimited presences, between the fallacy of a racial democracy – based on the harmony among Brazil’s diverse identities – and erasure of identity, strain the history of Brazilian audiovisual and above all, our own history.

No description available.

A woman asks her boyfriend for his mother's heart as a proof of love. Another, a kleptomaniac, has an affair with a TV professional. And a young man becomes a sex symbol after an advertising campaign.

Documentary investigates female authorship in literature and whether writing can be defined by gender.

No description available.

Jéssica is a teenager from Brazilian Northeast. After being abused by her stepfather, she runs away to Recife, where starts to work with sexual tourism. Then, she meets Mark, a German tourist, and falls in love with him.

A documentary that tells the history of 4 famous actors in Brazil.

The Alemão community in Rio de Janeiro is known for its high crime rate. Once again, a team faces drug trafficking to try to carry out the proposals inside the complex.

Interviews and performances with black women on film, theater and television who narrate their lives, careers, discrimination and struggles in the Brazilian artistic world. Starring actresses Zezé Motta, Ruth de Souza, Léa Garcia, Zenaide Zen and Adele Fátima, as well as activist Lélia Gonzáles.

Júlio was raised only by his mother. Now, at the age of twenty, he discovers that it will be his turn to be a father, and that's why he decides to go after the father he's never seen.

No description available.

Filmed over a five-year period, Chronically Unfeasible dissects Brazilian problems, using six people who meet in a restaurant in São Paulo as models to illustrate political, sociological and economic disparities between Brazil's upper and lower classes.

Society's roles are reversed in this humored short film where Raimundo is the husband who is pregnant and takes care of the house while his wife Marta is the family breadwinner. Things escalate in the relationship when the man starts to feel undervalued by his wife.

Three childhood friends plan meeting for a day in order to reassert their friendships and fight for their differences. One of them is involved with crime, one is a famous football player and the other struggles to maintain a middle-class lifestyle.

No description available.

Documentary about Brazilian poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade, and the many facets of his work.

No description available.

A paradise for the eyes, the phrase defines the character's destination place, A Terra Sem Males. After walking through forests and ruins, she realizes that that territory was built on the blood of many peoples. This knowledge could paralyze her, create fear, but they inspire acts of courage.

On the eve of her 65th birthday, Dolores has a premonition: her life is about to change. She will own a successful casino. However, her gambling addiction of the past may work against her. Deborah, her only daughter, waits for her boyfriend's release from prison to start a new life, whilst her granddaughter Duda clings to a chance of working in the United States. All three women will strive to make their dreams of a better life a reality, going for it all or nothing.

Jubiabá is a French-Brazilian film based on the homonymous novel by Jorge Amado. The film tells the story of the interracial love between the daughter of a rich Commander and Antonio Balduíno, a rascal, fighter and famous lover from Salvador.

No description available.

The filmmaker searches for his brother Max, who left his children without explanation. The brothers grew up in the Congo with their white father and Congolese mother. He visits their mother, who still lives in Kinshasa, and their father in Lisbon, as well as the extended family in France and Belgium. His search even takes him to Cambodia where Max was spotted. This fiction film is based on, and uses, the filmmaker's own family.