Leonardo Villar

About English photographer Chick Fowle. Statements by Anselmo Duarte, Leonardo Vilar, Marlene França, Vanja Orico. A film about directors, actors and teams that Chick Fowle worked and works with, also showing the possibility of renewal that Brazilian cinema can and must have.

Originally produced for German TV, Improvised and Purposeful is a firsthand look at the "Cinema Novo" movement (otherwise known as the 'Brazilian New Wave'). Director Joaquim Pedro de Andrade focuses on six Cinema Novo filmmakers working in Rio in 1967.

Zé is a very poor man whose most prized possession is his donkey. When his donkey falls terminally ill, Zé makes a promise to Saint Bárbara: If his donkey recovers, he will carry a cross - like Jesus - all the way from his city to Saint Bárbara's church, in the state capital. Upon the recovery of his donkey, Zé leaves on his journey. He makes it to the church, but the priest refuses to accept the cross once he discovers the context of Zé's promise.

Two dark-comedy stories involving blackmail, murder and love triangles in Rio de Janeiro

The story of how a quarrel between families set poor farmer Virgulino Ferreira da Silva on the path to become Lampião, the greatest leader of the cangaceiros - bandits who roamed the Northeast of Brazil until the late 1930s.

An evening in an old time dance hall in Sao Paulo introduces us to local characters who reminisce about the past, wonder about the future, have fun, flirt, fight and, of course, dance. Its earthy humour and eternal themes of ageing, loneliness and desire is an antidote to grumpy old men and women everywhere.

Homero Olmos, a famous television publicist known as "H.O." or "The Voice of Experience," is driving along a lonely road heading to Rio de Janeiro when he meets Claudia and Luis, a newlywed couple whose car has been in an accident.

A man and a woman meet in the middle of a newly inaugurated Brasília. In search of a love affair, they settle in his residence, where they live an intimate drama marked by intellectual, moral and erotic ghosts.

Delfino, a quiet man who lives in Congonhas do Campo, a small historical town in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, is urged by his friend to steal the image of the Madona de Cedro (the Cedar Madonna), sculpted by Aleijadinho in the 18th century, from the town sanctuary.

Diogo is a cartographer and artist who is encharged to set the new frontiers of Portuguese Colonies in South America. When he reaches the center of the continent, finds apparently nothing but wilderness and ‘uncivilized’ natives with strange ways of living. But Captain Pedro, the rude scout who guides him through the jungle, involves Diogo in an involuntary act of violence which will tie him in an unusual way to that far away country. At the same time, the Portuguese colonists are trying to make peace with Guaicuru Indians (one of the few natives with horse-riding abilities). But peace doesn’t ever have a low price.

A pastor and a priest compete for the religious leadership of the population of a small town. When the pastor tries to prevent his sister's involvement with the sacristan, he accidentally starts the rumor that the church houses a miraculous statue of St. Francis.

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

A tribute to the actor Leonardo Villar who, in his debut on the big screen, immortalized one of the most memorable characters in Brazilian cinema, Zé do Burro from the classic O Pagador de Promessas.

Augusto Matraga is a violent agressive farmer who, after being betrayed by his wife and trapped by several enemies, is beaten up and left for dead, being rescued by a couple of humble small farmers who nurse him for a long time until he is well again. Influenced by the couple, Matraga starts a long penitent life while waiting for his hour and chance to payback, starting a fight between his violent nature, his hidden desire of vengeance and the mysticism and goodness which is also part of him.

No synopsis available yet.

No synopsis available yet.

The story of Domitila de Castro Canto e Melo, the Marquise of Santos, the most famous of the mistresses of Dom Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil.

In search of a better life, Luzia leaves the Northeast of Brazil and goes to Rio de Janeiro, looking for her fiance who went first to pave their way. Alone in the Marvelous City, she is forced to accept the friendship and protection of Calunga and, later, the company of Inácio.

Singer Laura Monteiro (Montiel) is murdered by her old protector João Fernandes de Oliveira (Giachetti), who has found out her love affair with Assis (Carlos Alberto). Favela-girl Belén (also Montiel) is the look-alike who takes her place, unaware she is being used by a gang that smuggles precious stones sewn in Carnival costumes. Written by fabreu

Brazil in the early 70s. Miguel, Eloi, Osvaldo and Paolo take part in armed attacks against the military dictatorship. They pay a heavy price with torture and arrest. Today the four friends still see each other. Only Miguel is politically active. On a photograph from a political meeting in Sao Paolo he recognises the policeman who tortured them 25 years ago and who was responsible for the death of Miguel's girlfriend. The policeman has been officially dead for a few years. On one of their fishing trips together, Miguel tells his friends of his discovery. When they hunt down and confront their nemesis they come into conflict with both themselves and each other.

A museum worker - the watchman - motivated by the homonymous painting by Giorgio De Chirico, is introduced, through everyday life, into the metaphysical universe of the Italian painter.