Downtown Fiction

Paris - an American who recently arrived in Brazil - and the Brazilian Thais begin a simple friendship sharing feelings and sensations, even if they do not understand a single word each othar says.

Joana, a 14-year-old teenage girl, shows up to spend a week with her father, Renato, a comedian who performs his shows in steak houses, bars and nightclubs in Fortaleza dressed as Silvanelly. Despite barely knowing each other, having had little contact so far, and leading very different lifestyles, father and daughter need to live together during this period of time. Together they will meet the young actor Marlon, live new experiences and try new feelings. This week together will profoundly transform their lives.

Dayane suddenly leaves. Her mother Marluce, her sister Mariana and her fiancé Antônio stay. Between the incessant search, silent resignation and silent denial, this touching family drama from Ceará is located.

Deusimar is the owner of Inferninho, a dark and run-down bar that is a refuge for dreams and fantasies. Her dream is to leave everything behind and go away to any distant land, as far as possible from that place. Falling in love with Jarbas, the handsome sailor that arrives at the bar, dreaming of finding home, will completely change her life and the lives of the bar employees: Luizianne, the singer; Rabbit, the waiter; and Caixa-Preta, the cleaning lady.

In Fortaleza, Brazil, loving, drinking and singing. The return home, braving stray dogs. And taking photos, up to the moment the plastic camera bought in 2013 gives up the ghost.

No man is a failure when he has friends.

“Always keep Ythaca on your mind. To arrive there is your ultimate goal. But do not hurry the voyage at all. It is better to let it last for many years; and to anchor at the island when you are old, rich with all you have gained on the way, not expecting that Ythaca will offer you riches. Ythaca has given you the beautiful voyage. Without her you would have never set out on the road. She has nothing more to give you. And if you find her poor, Ythaca has not deceived you. Wise as you have become, with so much experience, you must already have understood what Ythaca mean.” Konstantínos Kaváfis

A terrified young woman is staring at a disturbing monstrosity, a kind of Pagan spirit that has sprung out of a river. Such is the opening scene of Pajeú, named after the creature, a fantastic character which follows the meanderings of the river and drives the story. Eager to get rid of a nightmare that is infecting her life, Maristela is looking into the story of Pajeú, the now forgotten figure buried in the depths of the city of Fortaleza. The film goes through successive urban transformations leading to the burying of Pajeú, a mystery imbued with supernatural elements.

João is a 32-years-old musician that opts for the isolation of a farmhouse in the Brazilian countryside after Flora, his pregnant wife, breaks up with him. Three months pass and he’s finally ready to make amends with his wife and follow the birth of his son. But then João is surprised by the mysterious appearance of Max, his best friend, who’s been missing for years and was thought to be dead.

Pilo, Panda and Isaac are childhood friends. One of them decides to ask his girlfriend to marry him at sameday the other two learn she is cheating on him with her gym instructor

Every day Benjamin drives his car through the city streets and intersections.

Vale do Jaguaribe, Ceará. Following the route of the Aracati wind, the film moves from the beach to the countryside. During this path, it observes the relationship between man and landscape, thetransformations of space and the limits between nature and artifice.

The cinematographic and literary versions of the same macabre plot are incorporated and establish tortuous relationships in an atmosphere where maintaining the mystery can be a matter of survival.

João, mounted on his horse Cruzeiro, and in the company of a wanderer named Tahiel, enters a large city in northeastern Brazil to face the one who took his lands and ended up with his family.

What can 20 actors’ faces, waiting for a casting call, reveal?