Once There Was Brasília

The film deals with the process of globalization based on the thought of geographer Milton Santos, who through his ideas and practices, inspires the debate about Brazilian society and the construction of a new world. Santos discusses his views on the importance of respecting difference and his belief that an alternative globalisation model could wholly enfranchise all citizens of the world. An illustrious presence in 20th century social sciences, the man dubbed as ‘geography’s philosopher’ eloquently elucidates a developing world perspective on the global age.

The trajectory of Nelson Prudêncio, the black boy from Lins, who became an athlete only at the age of 20 and became one of the protagonists of the epic final of the triple jump at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968, the biggest that the sport has ever seen.

Shots fired inside a club frequented by black Brazilians in the outskirts of Brasilia leave two men wounded. A third man arrives from the future in order to investigate the incident and prove that the fault lies in the repressive society.

Just released from prison, Léa returns home to the Brasilia favela of Sol Nascente and joins up with her half-sister Chitara, the fearless leader of an all-female gang that steals and refines oil from underground pipes and sells gasoline to a clandestine network of motorcyclists. Living in constant opposition to Jair Bolsonaro’s fiercely authoritarian and militarized government, Chitara’s women claim the streets for themselves as a declaration of radical political resistance on behalf of ex-cons and the oppressed.

The city of Brasilia hoped to become, from its very architecture, the expression of modern urban conception and an egalitarian society. However, neither the workers hired to pursue this project, nor the constant migratory flow that took place from the beginning, fitted in the government’s plan. In 1971, it began what was known as the “Campaign to Eradicate Invaders”. Together with other locals, the director reflects on the history, the transformations and the future of this place where the hypocritical official jingle “A cidade é uma só!” is no longer heard.

The struggle of a small group of blacksmiths trapped between keeping a long going strike with claims for better fees and the necessity of getting back to work when there's no money left for basic necessities.

During the World Cup in Brasilia, we follow Maninho (Willian Jesus Vieira), a former professional soccer player who started working as a street vendor, selling water and national team flags. On the way to his new job, memories awaken a recent memory that is at once playful and melancholic. After all, which soccer player in Brazil has never dreamed of playing in a World Cup?