Regina Veiga

Documentary about the metallurgical artist

Filmed as Brazil was transitioning back into a democracy after over two decades of dictatorship, ‘Mulheres: uma outra história’ focuses on various aspects of women's participation in the Brazilian political scene and features interviews with some of the 23 women newly elected to the Constituent Assembly who managed to gain the approval of some of their proposals for the Brazilian Constitution which was being written at the time. The film features appearances from suffragist Carmen Portilho, who reminds viewers about the long history of struggle for women to earn the right to vote in the country, and Jandira Feghali and Benedita da Silva who would become some of the most influential political leaders in the country’s history.

During Carnival in Rio de Janeiro a group of men follows the tradition of dressing up as a woman. Only some of them started timidly, a few members of a circle, but the custom has been expanding year by year to become legion. Their wives help them to get the costume, but husbands usually prefer to go to the parade without them.

‘Amores de Rua’ questions the attitude towards sexuality espoused by a society in which sex workers fight for the right to citizenship. The film travels through Vila Mimosa, Praça Mauá and erotic nightclubs frequented by all genders, where performers mouth along to camp hits. The film presents a discussion about sexuality based on testimonies from sex workers, transgender women and representatives of associations including Euridice Coelho (then president of the Association of Prostitutes of Rio de Janeiro) and Gabriela Silva Leite (from the organisation Vida Prostituição, Direitos Civis e Saúde).