Skin

Marcos Pimentel | Documentary, Experimental

2021 | 75 minutes | Brazil

The vibrant tapestry of Belo Horizonte, Brazil reveals walls adorned with captivating art: stunning murals, raw graffiti, and heartfelt expressions that leave an indelible mark.

Synopsis

The walls in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte are inundated with painted pictures and words, from stunning murals to old-school graffiti, and from enigmatic cries from the heart to furious cursing. Marcos Pimentel uses his mostly static camera to capture an impressive number of these public statements, painting a picture of the city as a canvas for artists, poets, and outraged citizens. Ranging from the ironic to the inflamed, the words and images of murals, tags, and posters give a voice to the voiceless.

In Skin, fragments of memory and silent screams reveal the desires, fears, fantasies, and daydreams of those who inhabit urban centers. The letters and drawings interact with the different bodies that move through the public space with cars driving past, buses stopping, and pedestrians hurrying along—some of them unaware of the artwork behind them, others quickly snapping a selfie.

Reviews

“One of the most beautiful films of this or any year, Skin (Pele) is a city symphony, an evocation of what life is like in Belo Horizonte, the sixth largest municipality in Brazil. Marcos Pimentel’s film uses no narration, so we hear no dialogue at all. For 75 minutes, the audience is liberated from the tyranny of language and linear narratives.” – Marc Glassman, POV Magazine

“Focused and quietly cumulative, Pimentel's unconventional city symphony is supported by a sound design that weaves together richly ambient soundscapes, music, field recordings of protests and more. Winner of a special mention at the most recent IDFA, in Skin the walls don't just talk—they rally.” – Jesse Cumming, Hotdogs

"Within minutes one is washed away on a gentle tide of emotion and association.” — Modern Times Review

Citation
Main credits

Pimentel, Marcos (film director)
Pimentel, Marcos (screenwriter)
Morales, Iván (screenwriter)

Other credits

Cinematography, Giovanna Pezzo; editing, Ivan Morales, Jr.


Citation
Cataloging
Keywords
Grafitti,brazilian cinema,cinema in portuguese,brazilian documentary,brazil,brasil,art cinema,art film,culture,identity,identity politics,culture wars,left wing,right wing,intersectionality,identity groups,civilization,literacy,humanism,cancel culture,online culture,cultural revolution,cultural diffusion,culture shock,popular culture,pop culture,material culture,cultural capital,cultural assimilation ,sociology,anthropology,psychology,sociological,sociological perspectives,conflict theory,human conflicts,sociological thinking,conflict perspective,topics in sociology,sociology topics,sociology studies,social studies,people and cultures,human relations,human relationships,cultural studies,culture studies ,visual arts,painting,drawing,printmaking,filmmaking,craft,crafts,architecture,ceramics,photography,video,videomaking,film,conceptual art,installation art,art exhibits,artmaking,photos,videography,sculpting,sculpture,theatre,theater,music,musicmaking,music performance,art styles,art history,plastic arts,fine art,fine arts,visual arts centers,visual arts education,jewelry,jewelrymaking,beaux arts,graphic arts,graphic design,abstract art,art galleries,art gallerist,galleries,gallery,gallerist,gallerists,illustration,urban studies,urbanism,community development,communities,urbanization,civic centers,satellite cities,residential areas,gentrification,barrioization,boomtown,bedroom communities,city block,city center,community displacement,white flight,walkability,zoning,housing,incorporated areas,unincorporated areas,suburbs,exurbs,inner cities,inner city,conservation ,geography,location,place,country,location,physical place,terrain,spatial awareness,territory,map,place,space,maps,cartography,countries,cities,mountains,territories,states,nations,borders,boundaries,topology,topography; "Skin"; Pragda Films
Clips
No clips are available yet.
Festivals

Hot Docs; Cinelatino Tolouse; It’s All True Film Festival; Shanghai International Film Festival; IDFA – Special Mention, Envision Award

DIRECTOR: Marcos Pimentel

NATIONALITY: Brazil

YEAR: 2021

GENRE: Documentary, Experimental

LANGUAGE: Portuguese

COLOR / B&W: Color

GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adults

SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE

AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE

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