Directing
Petra Costa
Born July 8, 1983 · Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil (age 43)
Petra Costa is a Brazilian filmmaker and actress. She first directed the short film Undertow Eyes (2009) which screened at the MoMA and was winner of best short film at Rio Film Festival, Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, London International Documentary Festival among others. She then directed the feature Elena (2012) which premiered at IDFA, followed by SXSW and HotDocs. Elena won m…
Known For
Apocalypse in the Tropics · 2025Apocalypse in the Tropics
★ 7.32025
MovieDocumentary
Through deep examination, this documentary from Oscar nominee Petra Costa explores the profound impact of evangelism on Brazil's political landscape.
Nobody's Watching · 2017Nobody's Watching
★ 6.02017
MovieDrama
Nico is a famous actor in Argentina, but in New York, nobody takes notice. He needs to juggle bartending, babysitting and odd jobs to keep himself afloat. But when old friends from Buenos Aires come to visit, he needs to juggle the image of his old life with the reality of the struggling actor in New York City.
The Edge of Democracy · 2019The Edge of Democracy
★ 7.72019
MovieDocumentary
A cautionary tale for these times of democracy in crisis—the personal and political fuse to explore one of the most dramatic periods in Brazilian history. With unprecedented access to Presidents Dilma Rousseff and Lula da Silva, we witness their rise and fall and the tragically polarized nation that remains.
Reading the World · 2025Reading the World
2025
MovieDocumentary
In 1963, global icon Paulo Freire led an experimental project teaching hundreds of rural farmers to read, write and vote in Brazil, until he was arrested and forced into exile during a U.S.backed coup d'etat.
Secrets of the Tribe · 2010Secrets of the Tribe
★ 6.92010
MovieDocumentaryTV Movie
What happens when western anthropologists descend on the Amazon and make one of the last unacculturated tribes in existence, the Yanomami, the most exhaustively filmed and studied tribe on the planet? Despite their "do no harm" creed and scientific aims, the small army of anthropologists that has studied the Yanomami since the 1960s has wreaked havoc among the tribe – and sparked a war within the anthropology community itself.
Babenco: Tell Me When I Die · 2020Babenco: Tell Me When I Die
★ 7.12020
MovieDocumentary
Besieged by cancer and nearing the end, the genius Argentine-Brazilian filmmaker Héctor Babenco (1946-2016) asks Bárbara Paz, his wife, for one last wish: to be the protagonist of his own death.
The Edge of Theocracy · 2020The Edge of Theocracy
★ 7.52020
MovieComedy
Jesus life and work goes through rumors, conspiracies, injuries, friendship and fanaticism. An emblematic figure of the 1st century, Jesus was a charismatic leader, but he faced many trials.
Elena · 2013Elena
★ 7.32013
MovieDocumentaryDrama
Petra heads to New York in search of her older sister after a long time of being separated. They are both movie actresses and heirs of the wounds of the Brazilian dictatorship. But Petra has only a few clues: home movies, newspaper clippings, a diary...
Filmography
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