The latest edition of Rio de Janeiro’s International Film Festival just wrapped up, and three standout Brazilian projects from this year’s selection provide a snapshot of both the country and its cinema industry today. From cosmic horror in the countryside to the turbulent political developments in the capital Brasília, these movies reflect, in unique ways, a period of rising conservatism that slashed public funding for the arts and elevated tensions across the nation, especially for minorities.
This is Ballroom (Salão de Baile)
dir. Juru & Vitã
Paris is Burning, but Rio is sizzling. 50 years after its origins in New York, this documentary seeks to demonstrate – or rather, excitedly flaunt – how the ballroom culture was absorbed and reimagined in Brazil. Revolving around a ball the filmmakers organized specifically for the feature, the film not only walks through the inception of the events, but also breaks down the particulars of each competitive category, all while diving into the diverse life stories of the participants and their respective ‘houses’, or chosen families that provide support and community for LGBTQ+ individuals.
Despite the ambitious scope, the structure tied to the contests allows it to relish in the irreverent bliss of the dance floor, elaborate routines and charismatic personalities, yet never lets the entertainment value fully overshadow the contradictions and issues present within the scene. One Black dancer characterized as Madonna illustrates voguing and then stops to point out that taking ownership of the culture as a Black, trans and queer creation is vital to avoid further appropriation.
The same dancers who passionately perform for the jurors and the camera constantly remind the audience not to romanticize any of it. “This is not Pose," says one of them in reference to the American TV series that portrayed New York ball culture in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Many of the people interviewed were raised in extremely religious households and share how joining the culture helped them with self-acceptance. Still, every testimony – and a notable conflict toward the end of the shoot – underline how hostile the environment can become. Strong rivalries and amusing shade can quickly evolve into personal attacks on identities that spread the hurt beyond the intended targets, but the film paints the ballroom scene as evolving alongside the people who fashion it.
Apocalypse in the Tropics (Apocalipse nos Trópicos)
dir. Petra Costa
The word ‘apocalypse’, deriving from ancient Greek, did not originally mean a catastrophe, but a revelation. Petra Costa’s awaited follow-up to 2019’s Oscar-nominated The Edge of Democracy, picks up where she left off in trying to chronicle Brazil’s tumultuous contemporary history, but this time she leaves out the personal framework and sets out to interrogate the extremist religious doctrines that began to play an increasingly bigger role in the country’s politics.
“This is where we ruin them, says Silas Malafaia, one of the most popular and influential televangelists in Brazil, proudly reading off sympathetic comments to the camera on one of his countless YouTube videos attacking then-candidate Lula. With incredible access to Malafaia, a major supporter and advisor to former president Bolsonaro, the documentary dedicates most of its runtime to meditating on the genesis, rationale and influence of dominion theology. First developed and propagated by American Protestant groups, the set of beliefs heavily relies on a radical interpretation of the biblical apocalypse to justify the necessity for Christians to infiltrate and dominate several aspects of society, including education, media and government.
Costa’s prominent voiceover, a source of critical contention regarding her directorial efforts on the argument that it renders them exceedingly self-centered, still takes front and center. Despite the undeniability of the images, such as drone footage of the mass graves in Manaus at the height of a state-wide oxygen shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic or first-hand recordings of the wreckage of federal buildings after a far-right insurrection on January 8th (inspired by the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack), Costa still comments. However, her inquisitive approach of stepping back from the commotion of breaking news to better comprehend rising ideological forces produces valuable reflections for Brazil’s present and future, which are also easily transferable to the realities of other nations.
Bury Your Dead (Enterre Seus Mortos)
dir. Marco Dutra
Adapted from Ana Paula Maia’s award-winning book, Bury Your Dead takes place in a strange dystopian reality where two men, an excommunicated priest and a tormented sleepwalker, work removing animal road corpses around a small rural town. Children are affected by a mysterious disease simply called “the syndrome” and are forced to isolate on islands, while a bizarre religious cult parades around claiming initiation as the only path to salvation from an impending apocalypse.
“God is real and he wants to kill us.” An unidentified source of evil infests every frame of the film, Shot under the restrictions of some pandemic-era barriers, Marco Dutra constructs a paranoid, death-obsessed universe in which the carcasses that the protagonist transports serve as gruesome reminders that the worst is yet to come. Instead of answering questions, the film is more interested in adding new layers of turmoil as the characters eventually find their way to a ghostly metropolis, yet the engulfing atmosphere of dread conveyed through its ingenious production design and superb array of performances mitigate whatever frustration the narrative can create on a surface level.
Ambitious genre filmmaking is harder to find in a country where funding is scarce and distribution historically lacking. Although the number of domestic feature-length productions released in Brazil per year usually surpasses 100, in 2023 they only accounted for 3% of the total box office revenue, with the only movies reaching mass audiences being comedies, musical biopics and faith-based adaptations. In that scenario, it’s worth noting that there’s some implicit goodwill already tied to the Bury Your Dead’s novelty existence. Despite the film being entirely financed by Globoplay, the streaming platform of Globo (the largest media conglomerate in Latin America), there are plans for a wide release in theaters.
As Rodrigo Teixeira, producer of Bury Your Dead and several high-profile international titles such as Call Me By Your Name and The Lighthouse, put it at the screening’s Q&A, Festival do Rio is perhaps now more important than ever. Between theaters’ slow recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the growing competition imposed by home entertainment options and decreased federal incentives for the creative industry, the event serves as a showcase for hundreds of films from around the globe, including a diversified collection of independent Brazilian projects. It is also a celebration of the act of cinema-going itself. As consumer habits evolve and the business survives, festivals like these serve as a testament to the enduring appeal of cinema as a shared cultural experience.
-Raul
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