Stories told by everyday people about their lives—"films as conversations"—from legendary Brazilian documentarian Eduardo Coutinho (1933–2014).
Read full descriptionIntroduced by Natalia Brizuela
In 1964 Coutinho was shooting a feature on a farmworkers’ union leader when filming stopped due to a military coup; twenty years later, he uncovers what has happened in the lives of the people involved.
Introduced by Brenno Kaneyasu Maranhão
Twenty-three women speak about their lives; their stories provide the scripts for actresses who then play them, in Coutinho’s exploration of staging and acting.
Introduced by Natalia Brizuela
Against the backdrop of the Pope’s 1997 visit, Coutinho investigates faith in Brazil, discovering a unique mix of Catholicism, Umbanda beliefs, and Evangelical traditions.
A special issue of Film Quarterly devoted to Coutinho launches between the features.
Introduced by Natalia Brizuela
Scavengers, on life and work in a garbage dump, is followed by a screening of Metal Workers, on the strikes that helped bring down the Brazilian dictatorship.
Coutinho spends a week listening to tenants in an enormous lower-middle-class Rio de Janeiro apartment building and captures the stories of many colorful lives.
Introduced by João Moreira Salles
A young girl becomes Coutinho’s guide through the lives of the aging inhabitants of a poor northeastern town in this poetic documentary on beginnings, endings, and life itself.
Introduced by João Moreira Salles
Coutinho’s “farewell” film, completed by Salles, showcases the master director engaged in conversations with Brazilian students about their lives and dreams, as well as his own thoughts on the practice of filmmaking.