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DEMOCRACY FILM

Film Review: The Coup d’État Factory

The new documentary by Brazilian duo Victor Fraga and Valnei Nunes dissects the role of media in creating the conditions to dismantle democracy and pave the way for the rise of Jair Bolsonaro. The Coup d´État Factory will premiere on Sunday 29th May at the BFI, London. By Livan Garcia-Duquesne. Originally published at Alborada. Since […]

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DEMOCRACY FILM LAWFARE SOVEREIGNTY

O Processo / The Trial – A Review

After it premiered at the Berlinale to a 7 minute standing ovation and won numerous festival awards, a series of pre-screenings for Maria Augusta Ramos’ ‘O Processo’ (The Trial) were held in Brazil ahead of its May 17 theatrical release. The documentary records the illegitimate impeachment of Dilma Rousseff in 2016, a process which was […]

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64-85 DICTATORSHIP FILM HISTORY

Wagner Moura’s directorial debut ‘Marighella’ begins filming

In January 2018, shooting began on film ‘Marighella’, the much anticipated biopic based on book by journalist Mário Magalhães, which follows the trajectory of Brazilian Marxist Writer & Communist Party politician turned urban guerrilla who became one of the main exponents, and a symbol of resistance against the 1960s Neofascist Military dictatorship. Born in Bahia in 1911 […]

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FILM LAVA JATO LAWFARE MEDIA

Bob Fernandes: The Law is for all (but only in the Movie)

By Bob Fernandes. On Monday, 28 August, in Curitiba, the premiere was held of the Lava Jato movie “Federal Police: the Law is for all”. The movie cost R$16 million ($5m USD). The identities of the financiers of the film are secret. In the film, one of the heroes is Judge Sergio Moro. As you […]

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FILM UNDERSTANDING BRASIL

The Second Mother

“The country is changing, right?” says the mother of a wealthy São Paulo family, when she learns that her maid’s daughter wants to become an architect and is applying for college. She sounds surprised and slightly resentful. It’s a fleeting piece of dialogue which can go unnoticed but it emphasises the movie’s unmasking of upper […]

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FILM INTERNATIONAL MEDIA MEDIA OPINION UNITED STATES

Narcos: South of the Border

Narcos is not a documentary and purely as televisual entertainment it is difficult to dislike. It is directed by the talented Brazilian José Padilha (Bus 174, Tropa de Elite) and also featuring fellow countryman, Tropa de Elite’s lead Wagner Moura (Elysium, Praia do Futuro), who shines as Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. Narcos is a stylish, visually & […]

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64-85 DICTATORSHIP CULTURE FILM FOOTBALL HISTORY POLITICS

Democracy in Black and White – Football and the Fight Against Dictatorship

The role of the Corinthians’ Democracy in Brasil’s re-democratization: Director Pedro Asbeg discusses Democracy in Black & White Fear of police, social tyranny and a highly repressive government once marked everyday life in Brasil. In the Pedro Asbeg directed documentary Black and White Democracy (Democracia em Preto e Branco), Asbeg spotlights an exceptional period in Brazilian […]

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CULTURE FILM UNDERSTANDING BRASIL

9 Essential Brazilian films of 2014

Accompanying an unprecedented level of national attention, Brazil’s always vibrant cinema community has had a number of international festival successes this year, exploring themes and diverse realities that break from what the world usually sees of the country. This is a selection of Brazilian cinema’s 2014 highlights. Praia do futuro Getúlio Casa Grande O Lobo atrás da […]