Noitada de Samba

This film shines a light at the story of Jards Macalé, polemic artist and controversial character of Brazilian culture over the last four decades. Author of songs such as "Vapor Barato" and "Movimento dos Barcos", a partner in crime of poet Waly Salomão, guitar player and songwriter for Gal Costa and Caetano Veloso, actor and author of soundtracks in Nelson Pereira dos Santos' films, a personal friend of visual artists Lygia Clarke and Hélio Oiticica, but, first and foremost, someone who dreams of seeing the word "love" in the Brazilian flag.

A film about the universe of Clementina de Jesus, singer revealed at the age of 63 as one of the greatest voices in the history of Samba.

A documentary on the influence that carnival has on the daily life of the Mangueira hill in Rio de Janeiro. It follows the manufacture of the carnivals of 1981 and 1982, interviewing several residents who tell the story of more than half a century of the favela's existence and emphasizing its community importance and cultural, to the sound of the most beautiful sambas composed on Mangueira.

Between scenes from his concert in São Paulo's oft-inaccessible Theatro Municipal, rapper and activist Emicida celebrates the rich legacy of Black Brazilian culture.

A film that depicts the everyday life and the beauty of Portela’s Old Folk – a group of veteran samba musicians who belong to one of Rio’s most revered samba schools, the one with the most first places and accolades in Rio’s Carnaval pageant. These old gentelmen’s and ladies’ musicality and poetry are unveiled through their simple, but rich and meaningful, every day life in Oswaldo Cruz, a quaint neighborhood in Rio’s North Zone, that serves both as set and as a main character in this story.

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

Samba on Your Feet explores the shared roots of Carnival and Samba in Brazil and how they’ve come together to form a unique and vibrant culture. The journey begins behind the scenes of Rio de Janeiro’s Samba schools. Here, we witness the hard work and dedication of choreographers, dancers, musicians, and costume makers coming together in the spirit of teamwork and collaboration to create a spectacle that celebrates the infectious rhythms of Samba. The camera of Montes-Bradley also explores nearby favelas, where the audience discovers more links between Carnival and Samba and learns about the cultural history linking both to common African traditions. Cultural historian Haroldo Costa is our host on this pilgrimage to the roots, illuminating the importance of Samba in Brazilian culture and explaining its influences on Carnival.

The story follows important moments in the life of Angenor de Oliveira, known as Cartola. From his childhood in middle-class neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro to his move to Morro da Mangueira, passing through his complicated family relationships and his first compositions.

The life of a famous Brazilian film and television actor, including testimonials from people who knew him and worked with him, as well as excerpts from films and videos in which he acted.

Biographical portrait of samba dancer Nelson Sargento in Morro da Mangueira, Rio de Janeiro.

This documentary investigates the aesthetic, political and existential trajectory of emblematic Black Brazilian actor Antônio Pitanga. His career spans over five decades, and he has worked with iconic Brazilian filmmakers Glauber Rocha, Cacá Diegues and Walter Lima Jr. He was a prominent figurehead and outspoken activist during the Brazilian dictatorship, a period of unrest in Brazilian cinema. "Pitanga" deep dives into the world of Antônio and the history of Brazil. The documentary was directed by his daughter Camila Pitanga, one of widely recognised faces in Brazilian television and cinema right now. The film is also a poem, and a tender ode to fatherhood.

Since samba emerged in Rio de Janeiro, the presence of women has been fundamental to its creation, maintenance and perpetuation to this day. Muses, pastors, aunts, composers, dancers, godmothers, carnival dancers, mulatas, performers and even as workers, they form a panel of colors, feelings and sounds in the representation of this culture. This film takes a brief look at the history of some of these women, honoring and recognizing their strength.

Documentary on the life and times of one of the most prominent Brazilian samba composers, Cartola (Angenor de Oliveira).

Follows the story of Opinião, a theatre group created in 1964 during the early Brazilian dictatorship period to oppose the government through artistic performances. Considered the first left-wing response to the dictatorship, the group gathered now famous Brazilian artists such as Nara Leão, Maria Bethânia, João do Vale and Millôr Fernandes.

Portrait of various figures in Brazilian pop music.

A documentary that revisits the golden age of pagode, celebrating the musical genre that defined a generation and dominated parties, TV shows, and radio stations across Brazil. Through archival footage and testimonials from artists and behind-the-scenes figures, the film explores the phenomenon's roots, its meteoric rise, and the legacy that still resonates in today's music. In a nostalgic musical showcase featuring major names from the genre, timeless hits are reimagined, paying tribute to pagode's impact on Brazilian culture.

Documentary addressing the composer Cartola and the transformations that took place in Morro Carioca and in Samba during his life. Founder of the Escola de Samba Estação Primeira de Mangueira, Cartola has his life and his music marked by his community and his School, far from the city His school, created as a playful and expressive center for the mangueirense, has now become a point of tourist attraction. This made work possible for the inhabitants of the hill, but it transformed the spirit of samba and its aesthetics.

A documentary on the career of Beth Carvalho, the Brazilian singer who became a well known samba legend from the 1970s onwards, edited together from hundreds of hours of footage and audio files kept (and partially recorded) by Carvalho herself during her lifetime.

The life and work of the late samba singer-songwriter Candeia.

In 1988, the centenary of abolition of slavery in Brazil, Zózimo Bulbul made this powerful historical analysis of racial issues in his country. This documentary provides an in-depth look through extensive archival researching and interviews of key figures who were involved in preserving black culture. Aside from historical testimony, this epic documentary also points to the current relevance of facing the racism that still confronts the black population in Brazil.

Young lovers Orfeu and Eurydice run through the favelas of Rio during Carnaval, on the lam from a hitman dressed like Death and Orfeu's vengeful fiancée Mira and passing between moments of fantasy and stark reality. This impressionistic retelling of the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice introduced bossa nova to the world with its soundtrack by young Brazilian composers Luiz Bonfá and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Orphaned by father and mother, Clara has always dreamed of building a singing career. At the age of 16, she moved to Belo Horizonte, where she won the ABC Golden Voice contest. In 1966, she recorded her first vinyl: A Adorable Voice by Clara Nunes. The approach to samba made her achieve the longed for success, in addition to international repercussion. Clara Nunes revolutionized the music industry, becoming the first woman to break the barriers imposed by the record label.

Film in three segments. In the first, engaged girl falls in love with an acrobat. In the second, married woman is loved by two men. In the last, the daughter of a traditional family is rejected on her wedding night.

Tonho Tiê really likes living free, playing capoeira and drinking. During Carnival he meets beautiful Zulmira; they pledge love and projects for many children. But time passes and Tonho returns to being the womanizer he had always been. Zulmira, daughter of Iansã, cannot stand Tonho's brazenness, and asks her saint-mother to wash her honor with blood.

Brazilian TV movie featuring the characters of the beloved literaly classic "Sítio do Picapau Amarelo"