Brazil Unfiltered: Politics and Power
Brazil’s political history is marked by authoritarian rule, struggles for democracy, and persistent battles over whose voices are heard. Through documentaries and fiction, this collection examines the 1964 military coup and its legacy, the transition to democracy, the workings of political and judicial institutions, and movements challenging entrenched inequalities. From filmmakers confronting censorship and historical silence to activists demanding representation and accountability, these films illuminate the forces shaping Brazil’s past and present—and the ongoing struggle over its democratic future.
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The Brazil Unfiltered: Politics and Power collection includes the following titles:
Black and White Democracy
Democracia em preto e branco
Documentary, Musical
Brazil
Follow Brazil's transition from dictatorship to democracy through three narratives: demands for free elections, Brazilian rock groups, and the Corinthian democracy football movement.
Brazil: A Time to Build
Brasil, país do presente?
Documentary
Brazil
How is the new generation of Brazilians feeling about the conflicting situation of the country? Diplomat, writer, and filmmaker Gustavo Westmann brings to the screen a renewed type of debate on Brazil in the 21st century.
I Owe You a Letter About Brazil
Fico te devendo uma carta sobre o Brasil
Documentary
Brazil
An investigation into the persistence of silence as a tool to erase memory in Brazil.
Magnicides, Ep. 08 - Marielle Franco
Documentary, Series
Argentina
Brazilian politician, feminist, and human rights activist Marielle Franco remains a symbol of resistance, a voice for those representation excludes.
Republic of Judges, Ep. 01 - Power
Poder
Documentary, Series
Brazil
In 1988, Brazil approved a new Constitution to strengthen democracy, but reinforcing the judiciary brought unforeseen consequences.
Republic of Judges, Ep. 02 - Control
Controle
Documentary, Series
Brazil
The Public Prosecutor's Office gained autonomy after dictatorship, but weak oversight risks undermining its legitimacy.
Republic of Judges, Ep. 03 - Vanity
Vaidade
Documentary, Series
Brazil
The Mensalão trial and Operation Car Wash created messianic figures, but public hope may have been an illusion.
Republic of Judges, Ep. 04 - Abuse
Abuso
Documentary, Series
Brazil
Law can strengthen or weaken democracy; past abuses of dictatorship leave a lingering “authoritarian rubble” in Brazil.
Republic of Judges, Ep. 05 - Corrosion
Corrosão
Documentary, Series
Brazil
Despite justice system upheavals, Brazil faces deep distortions and historic injustices amid democracy's gradual weakening.
Seeds: Black Women in Power
Sementes: Mulheres pretas no poder
Documentary
Brazil
The 2018 elections turned into the biggest political uprising led by Black women in Brazil's history, in response to the brutal execution of Marielle Franco.
Stories Our Cinema Did (Not) Tell
Histórias que nosso cinema (nāo) contava
Documentary
Brazil
A review of the military dictatorship in Brazil told through images and sounds from pornochanchada films, a genre of erotic films popular during that period.
The Coup d'État Factory
A fantástica fábrica de golpes
Documentary
Brazil
Brazil's long tradition of coup d'états is possible through the support of big media. Two Brazilian journalists reveal the manipulative tactics used.
The Dangerous Memory, Ep. 01 - The Indian Protection Service Scandal
O escândalo do serviço de proteção aos índios
Documentary, Series
Brazil
An investigation into the extermination policy of the Brazilian State against indigenous populations during the civil-military dictatorship.
The Dangerous Memory, Ep. 02 - Pacification and Transfer
Pacificação e transferência
Documentary, Series
Brazil
An investigation into the extermination policy of the Brazilian State against indigenous populations during the civil-military dictatorship.
The Dangerous Memory, Ep. 03 - The Pin and the Transamazonica
O pin e a transamazõnica
Documentary, Series
Brazil
An investigation into the extermination policy of the Brazilian State against indigenous populations during the civil-military dictatorship.
The Dangerous Memory, Ep. 04 - From Emancipation to the Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant
Da emancipação à hidrelétrica Itaipu
Documentary, Series
Brazil
An investigation into the extermination policy of the Brazilian State against indigenous populations during the civil-military dictatorship.
The Dangerous Memory, Ep. 05 - The Transnational Indigenous Movement
O movimento indígena transnacional
Documentary, Series
Brazil
An investigation into the extermination policy of the Brazilian State against indigenous populations during the civil-military dictatorship.
The Dangerous Memory, Ep. 06 - The 1988 Constitution and the Challenges of the 21st Century
A consituiçao de 1988 e os desafios do séc. XXI
Documentary, Series
Brazil
An investigation into the extermination policy of the Brazilian State against indigenous populations during the civil-military dictatorship.
The Day That Lasted 21 Years
O dia que durou 21 anos
Documentary
Brazil, United States
A look at how and why the United States supported a conspiracy to overthrow the Brazilian elected President Joao Goulart in 1964, when Ambassador Lincoln Gordon planned South America's longest military dictatorship with the support of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson.
The Forgotten Boys of Brazil
Menino 23 - Infâncas Perdidas no Brasil
Documentary
Brazil
During the 1930s, fifty black boys were taken from an orphanage in Rio de Janeiro and led to a farm where they were identified by numbers and subjected to slave labor by a family that was part of the political, military, and economic elite of the country while proclaming their affinity for the Nazi ideology.