Popular from Brazil
Laerte-se
A beloved cartoonist's story behind her coming out as transgender.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil • 2017
- Director Lygia Barbosa da Silva
- Cast Laerte Coutinho, Eliane Brum, Rita Lee, Glamour Garcia, Angeli
- Genre Documentary
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Aquarius
Sometimes staying put is the greatest challenge.
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- Brazil, France • 2016
- Director Kleber Mendonça Filho
- Cast Sônia Braga, Maeve Jinkings, Irandhir Santos, Humberto Carrão, Fernando Teixeira, Zoraide Coleto
- Genre Drama
- Available on Kino Film Collection, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy
Mars One
(Marte Um)
A middle class Black family in Brazil adjusts to life under a far-right extremist president.
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- Brazil • 2022
- Director Gabriel Martins
- Cast Rejane Faria, Carlos Francisco, Camilla Damião, Cícero Lucas, Ana Hilário, Russo Apr
- Genre Drama
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
The Pink Cloud
(A Nuvem Rosa)
When a deadly pink cloud mysteriously appears, Giovana and Yago are confined in an apartment together after a one-night stand.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil • 2021
- Director Iuli Gerbase
- Cast Renata de Lélis, Eduardo Mendonça, Kaya Rodrigues, Helena Becker, Girley Paes
- Genre Drama, Science Fiction
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Freevee, Hoopla
The Mechanism
(O Mecanismo)
A scandal erupts in Brazil during an investigation of alleged government corruption via oil and construction companies.
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- Brazil • 2018
- Creator Elena Soarez, José Padilha
- Cast Júlia Svacinna
- Genre Crime, Drama
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
New from Brazil
The Edge of Democracy
(Democracia em Vertigem)
A disturbing exploration into the complex truths behind the unraveling of two Brazilian presidencies.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil • 2019
- Director Petra Costa
- Cast Dilma Rousseff, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Michel Temer, Eduardo Cunha, Jair Bolsonaro
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
The Traitor
(Il traditore)
After trying to leave the mafia for Brazil, Tommaso Buscetta is forced to return to Italy and become an informant.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, France, Germany • 2019
- Director Marco Bellocchio
- Cast Pierfrancesco Favino, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Fabrizio Ferracane, Fausto Russo Alesi, Luigi Lo Cascio, Bruno Cariello
- Genre Crime, Drama, Thriller
- Available on Starz Apple TV Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, AMC on Demand
Invisible Life
(A Vida Invisível)
Two estranged sisters struggle to make lives for themselves despite the restrictive expectations of 1950s Brazil.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil • 2019
- Director Karim Aïnouz
- Cast Carol Duarte, Julia Stockler, Fernanda Montenegro, Gregório Duvivier, Bárbara Santos, Flávia Gusmão
- Genre Drama
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Freevee
Two Irenes
(As Duas Irenes)
Two young girls, both named Irene, discover they are tied together by a dark, shocking secret.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil • 2017
- Director Fabio Meira
- Cast Priscila Bittencourt, Isabela Torres, Marco Ricca, Susana Ribeiro, Inês Peixoto
- Genre Drama
- Available on Film Movement Plus
Central Airport THF
(Zentralflughafen THF)
A portrait of Berlin’s famed Tempelhof airport. Once glorified by Nazis, today it houses refugees and asylum seekers.
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- Germany, France, Brazil • 2018
- Director Karim Aïnouz
- Cast
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Film Movement Plus
Shine Your Eyes
(Cidade Pássaro)
A Nigerian musician searches for his missing brother in this familiar but unique immigration narrative.
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- Brazil • 2020
- Director Matias Mariani
- Cast OC Ukeje, Chukwudi Iwuji, Indira Nascimento, Paulo André, Ike Barry
- Genre Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Coffee with Cinnamon
(Café com Canela)
Five friends tell stories of love, loss, and grief.
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- Brazil • 2018
- Director Ary Rosa, Glenda Nicácio
- Cast Aline Brune, Valdineia Soriano, Babu Santana, Aldri Anunciação, Arlete Dias, Antônio Fábio
- Genre Drama
- Available on Film Movement Plus, Plex, Plex Channel
Carandiru
Dr. Drauzio Varella listens to the stories of prisoners in the Carandiru Penitentiary.
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- Brazil, Argentina, Italy • 2003
- Director Héctor Babenco
- Cast Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos, Milton Gonçalves, Ivan de Almeida, Aílton Graça, Maria Luísa Mendonça, Aida Leiner
- Genre Drama
- Available on Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, Tubi TV
Los delincuentes
Morán schemes to steal money, confess, and serve prison time while his accomplice hides the cash. While Morán’s away, the accomplice gets distracted by a woman who changes everything.
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- Argentina, Brazil, Luxembourg • 2023
- Director Rodrigo Moreno
- Cast Esteban Bigliardi, Margarita Molfino, Sergio Hernández, Cecilia Rainero
- Genre Drama
- Available on MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video
Telescope Recommends
The Ornithologist
(O Ornitólogo)
A lone ornithologist is swept away by rapids while looking for black storks along a river, waking to an unfamiliar world.
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- Portugal, France, Brazil • 2016
- Director João Pedro Rodrigues
- Cast Paul Hamy, Xelo Cagiao, Jules Elting, Flora Bulcão, Isabelle Puntel, Chan Suan
- Genre Adventure, Drama
- Available on Strand Releasing Amazon Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube
I Travel Because I Have to, I Come Back Because I Love You
(Viajo Porque Preciso, Volto Porque Te Amo)
A geologist is sent on a solitary expedition to the wilds of northeastern Brazil to survey routes for a canal.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil • 2009
- Director Marcelo Gomes
- Cast Irandhir Santos
- Genre Drama
- Available on Fandor Amazon Channel
Sócrates
After his mother’s death, 15-year-old Sócrates must survive on his own in the São Paulo favelas while wrestling with his grief.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil • 2018
- Director Alexandre Moratto
- Cast Christian Malheiros, Tales Ordakji, Caio Martinez Pacheco, Rosane Paulo, Jayme Rodrigues
- Genre Drama
- Available on FlixFling, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Hoopla
Don't Call Me Son
(Mãe Só Há Uma)
Ever since his father’s death, Pierre's mother has looked after him and his younger sister Jacqueline, spoiling them both, but when he discovers that she stole him from a hospital when he was a new born baby, Pierre’s life changes dramatically.
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- Brazil • 2016
- Director Anna Muylaert
- Cast Naomi Nero, Daniel Botelho, Dani Nefussi, Matheus Nachtergaele, Lais Dias
- Genre Drama
- Available on Kanopy
The Edge of Democracy
(Democracia em Vertigem)
A disturbing exploration into the complex truths behind the unraveling of two Brazilian presidencies.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil • 2019
- Director Petra Costa
- Cast Dilma Rousseff, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Michel Temer, Eduardo Cunha, Jair Bolsonaro
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Neighboring Sounds
(O Som ao Redor)
Life in a neighbourhood in Recife, Brazil takes an unexpected turn after the arrival of an independent private security firm.
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- Brazil • 2012
- Director Kleber Mendonça Filho
- Cast Maeve Jinkings, Irandhir Santos, Gustavo Jahn, W.J. Solha, Irma Brown, Sebastião Formiga
- Genre Drama, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, YouTube, Kanopy
Diamantino
A delirious comedy about a disgraced footballer.
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- Portugal, France, Brazil • 2018
- Director Daniel Schmidt
- Cast Carloto Cotta, Cleo Tavares, Anabela Moreira, Margarida Moreira, Carla Maciel
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Science Fiction
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Kino Film Collection, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy
Black Orpheus
(Orfeu Negro)
A retelling of the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice that introduced Bossa Nova to the world.
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- Brazil, France, Italy • 1959
- Director Marcel Camus
- Cast Breno Mello, Marpessa Dawn, Marcel Camus, Fausto Guerzoni, Lourdes de Oliveira, Léa Garcia
- Genre Drama, Fantasy, Music, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Kanopy
Boy & the World
(O Menino e o Mundo)
A boy leaves his village and discovers a fantastic, surreal world.
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- Brazil • 2014
- Director Alê Abreu
- Cast Vinicius Garcia, Lu Horta, Marco Aurélio Campos, Felipe Zilse, Alê Abreu, Cassius Romero
- Genre Animation, Adventure, Family, Science Fiction
- Available on Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube
Documentaries from Brazil
The Salt of the Earth
(Le sel de la terre)
A journey through the Earth's wrath and beauty with Sebastião Salgado.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Brazil, Italy • 2014
- Director Wim Wenders
- Cast Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wim Wenders, Hugo Barbier
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Hulu, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube
The Territory
The Indigenous Uru-eu-wau-wau people fight back against deforestation and illegal settling on their land.
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- Brazil, Denmark, United States • 2022
- Director Alex Pritz
- Cast Neidinha Bandeira, Bitaté Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau, Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Disney Plus
Cinema Novo
A movie-essay about the most important movement of Latin American cinema.
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- Brazil • 2016
- Director Eryk Rocha
- Cast Glauber Rocha, Joaquim Pedro de Andrade, Leon Hirszman, Nelson Pereira dos Santos, Ruy Guerra
- Genre Documentary
- Available on OVID, Apple TV, Amazon Video, Hoopla
Beyond Elections: Redefining Democracy in the Americas
An exploration of the many incarnations of democracy across the Americas
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- Venezuela, Brazil, United States • 2008
- Director Michael Fox, Silvia Leindecker
- Cast
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Google Play Movies, YouTube, Kanopy
The Edge of Democracy
(Democracia em Vertigem)
A disturbing exploration into the complex truths behind the unraveling of two Brazilian presidencies.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil • 2019
- Director Petra Costa
- Cast Dilma Rousseff, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Michel Temer, Eduardo Cunha, Jair Bolsonaro
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Convergence: Courage in a Crisis
While Covid-19 exacerbates vulnerabilities worldwide, unsung heroes at all levels of society help turn the tide toward a brighter future.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, United States • 2021
- Director Orlando von Einsiedel
- Cast Wenhua Lin, Sara Khaki, Mohammad Rezi Eyni
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Central Airport THF
(Zentralflughafen THF)
A portrait of Berlin’s famed Tempelhof airport. Once glorified by Nazis, today it houses refugees and asylum seekers.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Germany, France, Brazil • 2018
- Director Karim Aïnouz
- Cast
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Film Movement Plus
August Winds
(Ventos de Agosto)
Where things change, nature remains.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil • 2014
- Director Gabriel Mascaro
- Cast Dandara de Morais, Geová Manoel do Santos, Gabriel Mascaro, Maria Salvino dos Santos, Antônio José dos Santos
- Genre Documentary, Mystery
- Available on Kino Film Collection, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, YouTube, Kanopy
In the Intense Now
(No Intenso Agora)
A personal essay which analyses and compares images of the political upheavals of the 1960s.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil • 2017
- Director João Moreira Salles
- Cast
- Genre Documentary
- Available on OVID, Apple TV
Waste Land
What lies at the heart of the world's largest trash city?
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- Brazil, United Kingdom • 2010
- Director Lucy Walker
- Cast Vik Muniz
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Kanopy, Plex, Plex Channel
Sunday Ball
(Campo de Jogo)
A documentary following the annual championship game among neighborhood soccer teams in Rio de Janeiro.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil • 2014
- Director Eryk Rocha
- Cast
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Apple TV
Elena
Elena — who spent her childhood in Brazil fearing an authoritarian regime — moves to New York and pursues a lifelong dream shared with her mother: to be a movie actress.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil, United States • 2013
- Director Petra Costa
- Cast Li An, Elena Andrade, Petra Costa
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Netflix, GuideDoc, Netflix basic with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, VUDU Free, Kanopy
Tranny Fag
(Bixa Travesty)
Linn da Quebrada pushes back on the labels society tries to place on queer people of color.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil • 2019
- Director Claudia Priscilla
- Cast Linn da Quebrada, Jup do Bairro, Liniker, Assucena Assucena, Raquel Virgínia, Ney Matogrosso
- Genre Documentary
- Available on GuideDoc, True Story, Apple TV, Kanopy, myfilmfriend
Festival Favorites
Prayers for the Stolen
(Noche de fuego)
Three young girls come of age in a small and war-torn town in Mexico.
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- Mexico, Germany, Brazil • 2021
- Director Tatiana Huezo
- Cast Mayra Batalla, Norma Pablo, Olivia Lagunas, Teresa Sánchez, Guillermo Villegas
- Genre Drama
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Bacurau
A Brazilian village is targeted by a group of armed mercenaries… who may have met their match.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil • 2019
- Director Kleber Mendonça Filho, Juliano Dornelles
- Cast Bárbara Colen, Udo Kier, Sônia Braga, Thomas Aquino, Silvero Pereira, Wilson Rabelo
- Genre Mystery, Thriller, Western
- Available on Showtime Apple TV Channel, Kino Film Collection, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy, Hoopla
Invisible Life
(A Vida Invisível)
Two estranged sisters struggle to make lives for themselves despite the restrictive expectations of 1950s Brazil.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil • 2019
- Director Karim Aïnouz
- Cast Carol Duarte, Julia Stockler, Fernanda Montenegro, Gregório Duvivier, Bárbara Santos, Flávia Gusmão
- Genre Drama
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Freevee
Elena
Elena — who spent her childhood in Brazil fearing an authoritarian regime — moves to New York and pursues a lifelong dream shared with her mother: to be a movie actress.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil, United States • 2013
- Director Petra Costa
- Cast Li An, Elena Andrade, Petra Costa
- Genre Documentary
- Available on Netflix, GuideDoc, Netflix basic with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, VUDU Free, Kanopy
The Second Mother
(Que Horas Ela Volta?)
Unspoken class barriers within a home come crashing down when the live-in housekeeper's daughter suddenly appears.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Brazil • 2015
- Director Anna Muylaert
- Cast Regina Casé, Camila Márdila, Karine Teles, Lourenço Mutarelli, Michel Joelsas, Helena Albergaria
- Genre Drama
- Available on OVID, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy, Hoopla, Plex, Plex Channel
Zama
An officer must find a way to escape from South America in this film based on the 1956 novel.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Argentina, Brazil, Spain • 2017
- Director Lucrecia Martel
- Cast Daniel Giménez Cacho, Lola Dueñas, Matheus Nachtergaele, Juan Minujín, Nahuel Cano, Mariana Nunes
- Genre Drama
- Available on Strand Releasing Amazon Channel, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy