"University professor turned political refugee Marcelo (Wagner Moura) is the film's entry point, and around him, Mendonça Filho weaves a complex web of relatives, fellow dissidents, like the elderly Dona Sebastiana (Tânia Maria), and enemies, including young assassin Bobbi (Gabriel Leone), all of whom have their own often-conflicting agendas. The result is an immersive, urgent, playful, and devastating film that, while experimenting with genre and time, finds surprising commonalities between Brazil 50 years ago and the world today."
"Using a backward gaze to find relevance in the present is not new for Mendonça Filho, who began his career as a film critic, started directing short films, and then delivered a series of critically acclaimed films about life in Brazil, including the documentary Pictures of Ghosts and the features Neighbouring Sounds and Aquarius."
Set in 1977 under Brazil's military dictatorship, the narrative centers on university professor-turned-refugee Marcelo and the intertwined lives around him. Relatives, fellow dissidents, and enemies—including the elderly Dona Sebastiana and young assassin Bobbi—navigate clashing agendas amid state brutality, fake news, and corruption. The story blends genre play and temporal shifts to create an immersive, urgent, and often devastating atmosphere. The pacing and sprawling scope contrast with earlier, more frenetic works, focusing on internal national antagonists and highlighting resonances between historical repression and present-day political tensions.
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