"Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (Joao Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others. On an evening out with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger."
"Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of sex work and drug dealing. Caetano depicts Wellington's new life of crime with tender empathy rather than as a sensationalist cautionary tale. Now going by the name of Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with cocky bravado and touching naivety. To his customers, Wellington lends not only his youth and his body, but also moments of care."
An 18-year-old named Wellington, freshly released from juvenile prison and abandoned by his parents, drifts into the fringes of São Paulo life. A chance meeting with the older hustler Ronaldo pulls him into sex work and drug dealing, where he adopts the name Baby and navigates transactional intimacy with bravado and naivety. The film renders his descent with tender empathy rather than sensationalism, showing how fleeting care and chosen family form amid bustling alleyways and neon-lit streets. Threats from the underworld coexist with the looming fear of police surveillance and incarceration. The film centers on lost people who have fallen through systemic cracks and who find kinship on the streets. Baby is in UK cinemas from 12 December.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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