A Study in Red

An independent private security firm arrives at a middle-class neighborhood in Recife, Brazil.

Cris, aged 12, and her brother are left at the side of the road by their parents. The punishment quickly turns into an even greater challenge.

It feels so good to dream of you. It feels so real it fills me with pleasure. And I can't think about anything else.

In the year 2040, the city of Recife, Brazil, is deserted and in ruins, abandoned by the wealthy who migrated to space colonies. One young man, bored in his new address, decides to return. In Recife, he redecorates his old house and spends his time reading, walking and getting involved with various men. Gradually, however, he perceives strange signs and discovers the existence of a secret cult.

A documentary filmmaker sleeps with his camera to film the dreams he has at night.

A neighborhood populated by ghosts of a relationship and a tradition.

It would be a swan, it would be a heron; white magic evil eyes.

“When the curtain opened, under a colorful universe of feathers and sequins, she appeared on the stage, snaking lascivious movements, to the sound of a rumba or a merengue”. Piu Piu, as the actor, set designer and costume designer Elpídio Lima was known, is considered the oldest transformist in Recife. In the 1950s and 1960s, he performed at the Barreto Junior Company, on the stages of the Almare and Morroco theaters. He was one of the creators of the Companhia Tra-la-lá, a swish theater and liked to imitate the singers and actresses Sarita Montiel and Carmem Miranda.

“Honey, thanks for taking care of the house. There's wine in the fridge. If Raja gets restless, just give him a cookie.”

Cecília, a successful young model, returns to Recife, her hometown, to spend Christmas with her mother. One night, a neighbour she hadn’t seen for a long time, João, shows her a bottle with a mysterious and intoxicating green substance. Cecília begins to fall in love with João, but also discovers he is involved in a secret cult around the figure of Salomé, the luxurious biblical princess.

When I first moved in with friends, it became a habit to have people over all the time.

Follows the daily life and memories of Elza Show, a drag queen from Recife dedicated to singing the great Brazilian radio divas.

One evening, two hungover friends drink wine while discussing their fascination with the song "Mama" by Valesca Popozuda.

Two teenagers, high school friends, discover desire.

Get ready for the fifth volume of an incredible gay short film series! Male Shorts: International V5 features four brand-new short films focusing on gay, bi and generally curious men from around the globe. Iceberg takes place in Rio de Janeiro during the pandemic and follows two men who are haunted by the same mysterious spirit which seems to inhabit their plumbing. In Xavier, a young man uses his cell phone to come out to the world, his father and his best friend and crush all at once. The visually inventive Dreams concerns a documentary filmmaker who with his camera so that he can capture the dreams he has at night. Finally, It's Just Another Day follows Gabriele, who is torn between taking care of his sick father or running away to Rome with the man he loves. The 4 short films are: Dreams [Sonhos] (2022); It's Just Another Day [È solo un altro giorno] (2022); Xavier and Miguel [Xavier e Miguel] (2022); Iceberg (2022).

Darling, he came to see me again today. I end every session more shook than the last. Because, unlike all my other patients, he shows no discomfort whatsoever with his sexual freakishness. On the contrary. I maintain my diagnosis: acute melancholia and flight from reality. He goes so deep in his delusion sometimes that he imagines he's some kind of prophet. As if he was part of a cult.