The Prisoner of the Iron Bars

In 2002, the greatest prison in Latin America, Complex Carandiru, was demolished. A couple of months before its implosion, director Paulo Sacramento trained some inmates and together with his crew, they produced many hours of footage, showing daily life in prison.

The Bowmakers

This documentary film explores the world of the bow and the extraordinary masters who make them. The bow is the Cinderella of the orchestra—the overworked and overshadowed ally to its more glamorous partners. Few people, even among lovers of classical music, think of the bow as an instrument in its own right, but players of stringed instruments see them differently. To musicians, the bow is as essential to expressing the soul of the music as the violin or cello. The film follows the journey of the “silent servant” of the music world—from the workshops of the virtuosos of the trade, to the birthplace of the bow in France, and to Brazil, home to the imperiled tree from which the world’s finest bows are made.

Sieged: The Press vs. Denialism

Behind the scenes of news coverage during the pandemic. Follow the work of the professional press in a fight against denialism.

São Vito

Story about the imposing building Edifício São Vito, a mark on the center of São Paulo gentrification system. The building was demolished in 2011, with many families being deallocated after an agreemente with the city town that was never accomplished.

Trabantem až na konec světa

The third installment in Dan Přibáň's series of travel documentaries describes the author's journey with his friends across South America in vehicles that are often notorious but cult in their own way. The charming dynamics of the group on screen are further enhanced by the high-quality craftsmanship.

O Retorno da Terra Tupinambá

The Money Lenders

Critical investigation of The World Bank and IMF. Too hot for PBS, but prime time TV everywhere else. Do the World Bank and IMF make the poor even poorer? Are the Bank and IMF democratic institutions? Why do people demonstrate against the Bank and IMF? For the first time, a documentary global investigation of major criticisms of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), two of the most powerful financial institutions in the world. Five country case studies are presented, each concentrating on a different aspect of critics' charges: 1. Bolivia: Debt, Drugs and Democracy 2. Ghana: The Model of Success 3. Brazil: Debt, Damage and Politics 4. Thailand: Dams and Dislocation 5. Philippines: The Debt Fighters. The charges, including those related to structural adjustment, are controversial and provocative. Some go to the heart of the power and policies of these institutions.

An Invisible Victim: The Eliza Samudio Case

A star goalkeeper threatens a woman who is pregnant with his child. Her pleas for help go unanswered in the shadow of his fame — then tragedy strikes.

Othelo The Great

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.

Match 64: The Maracanã

A documentary following the day life of fans in Brazil on July 13, 2014: the day when Germany and Argentina met up in the finals of FIFA World Cup.

Belov: A Life at Sea

The first biographical documentary film about the greatest Brazilian sailor by miles traveled. Setting sail from Salvador - Bahia - Brazil, Capital of the Blue Amazon, the Ukrainian Brazilian personality Aleixo Belov has already circumnavigated the globe five times, three of them alone, aboard a little sailboat built in his own backyard.

Rio Doce - 60 Dias Depois

Piripkura

The last two surviving members of the Piripkura people, a nomadic tribe in the Mato Grosso region of Brazil, struggle to maintain their indigenous way of life amidst the region's massive deforestation. Living deep in the rainforest, Pakyî and Tamandua live off the land relying on a machete, an ax, and a torch lit in 1998.

Mariner of the Mountains

Filmmaker Karim Aïnouz decides to take a boat, cross the Mediterranean, and embark on his first journey to Algeria. Accompanied by the memory of his mother, Iracema, and his camera, Aïnouz gives a detailed account of the journey to his father’s homeland, interweaving present, past, and future.

This Is Not Your Life

Noeli lives in a suburb of Porto Alegre, is a housewife and has two children. She was born in a country town, went to the capital, worked in a bakery, got married. She's an ordinary person. But there are no ordinary people.

Minha Perna, Minha Classe

The Road to Maracanã

The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil as you have never seen it before. Relive the emotions of the players, the goals, the misses, the heartbreak, the joy. In addition to re-living the action on the pitch, enjoy the journey from the bustling city of São Paolo to the indigenous tribes of the Amazon, as Neymar, Messi, Rodriguez and Müller strive towards FIFA World Cup glory. Also known as “Road to Maracanã."

Lua

Joseph Wilson meets the dance teacher fighting transphobic violence through voguing in Rio’s favelas.

In Deep With Ryan Lochte

Four years after Ryan Lochte's scandal at the 2016 Olympics, the father of two tries once more to make his way onto the U.S. Olympic team and prove he isn't the same man he once was.

Like a Butterfly

Maria José's life story reveals not only the harsh reality she and her family faced, but also a portrait of the real Brazil. Like a butterfly that is born crawling, she finds her beauty where it is not convenient to be found and sets her flight free to the sky.