Suzana Amaral transposes Clarice Lispector’s novel in one of the most accomplished adaptations in Brazilian cinema, with a revelatory Marcélia Cartaxo as Macabéa. The film knows how to find beauty and tragedy in the invisibility of an unforgettable character.
THE HOUR OF THE STAR | 1985 Read More »
Daniel Rezende sensitively adapts Valter Hugo Mãe’s novel, creating “humble epic” about coastal village. Rodrigo Santoro brings compassion to Crisóstomo, solitary fisherman who maintains humanity amid cycles of violence.
THE SON OF A THOUSAND MEN | 2025 Read More »
Tropical Alien talked with director Marco Dutra about “Bury Your Dead” (2024), an adaptation of the first book in Ana Paula Maia’s trilogy. The film follows Edgar (Selton Mello), responsible for removing roadkill carcasses in Abalurdes, a fictional small town. In the interview, Dutra discusses writing about death during the pandemic and how Ana Paula Maia’s literary universe provided the foundation for creating a Brazilian language of cosmic horror. The director details Selton Mello’s physical performance as Edgar and his collaboration with Ana Paula Cardoso on production design and Rui Poças on cinematography.
INTERVIEW: MARCO DUTRA (BURY YOUR DEAD, 2024) Read More »
Kleber Mendonça Filho creates singular approach to Brazilian dictatorship with very strong visual language. Wagner Moura delivers perhaps his best work in film exploring how physical media preserves stories.
THE SECRET AGENT | 2025 Read More »
At 70 minutes long, Aurora 15 is a quick and peculiar horror experience with a surprisingly committed cast. Marjorie Estiano stands out with a memorable performance in this cult gem.
Tropical Alien spoke with André Antônio about “Salomé”, winner of eight awards at the 2024 Brasília Film Festival. In the interview, the director explores his investigation of desire through an aesthetic that blends realistic relationships with extreme visual artificiality, using neon colors and references to American film noir.
INTERVIEW: ANDRÉ ANTÔNIO (SALOMÉ, 2024) Read More »
In his adaptation of Ana Paula Maia’s first book from her trilogy, Marco Dutra creates Brazilian cosmic horror with Selton Mello. The film navigates between the Lovecraftian and the human, building terror from the silent inevitability of everyday apocalypse.
BURY YOUR DEAD | 2024 Read More »
In the first Tropical Takes video, Bruno Weber analyzes Gabriel Mascaro’s “The Blue Trail”. Brazilian dystopia where government sends elderly to distant colonies. Starring Denise Weinberg, film won Silver Bear in Berlin
Tropical Takes: The Blue Trail | Gabriel Mascaro (2024) Read More »
Mariana Brennand approaches child abuse in Amazonian communities with notable cinematic sensitivity, choosing an ethical visual language that communicates without exploiting. With Jamilli Correa’s revelatory performance and Rômulo Braga’s complex work, the film discusses an urgent reality of Brazilian society through fiction.
Milena Times gently tells the story of a young woman full of plans who has to deal with an unwanted pregnancy, taking time also to reflect on the presence of the characters who form her support network at this unexpected time.
NOT TOMORROW YET | 2024 Read More »
