Brazil / 2000 / 92mins / Documentary / Portuguese

This documentary explores the taboos, stereotypes and struggles of black actors in the Brazilian Television "soaps." The director, based on his own memories and on a sturdy body of research evidence, analyzes race relations in Brazilian soap operas, calling attention to the influence this might have on black people's identity-forming processes.

Joel Zito Araújo

Joel Zito Araújo is a filmmaker, researcher, writer, and screenwriter, born in the city of Nanuque, Brazil in 1954. He graduated from the School of Communications and Arts at USP with a degree in Communication Sciences. He then did his postdoctoral studies in the radio, TV, and film in the anthropology department at the University of Texas at Austin. He began his film career by directing both short and medium-length documentaries that focused on the problems of Brazilian society. In 1999, he finished his first feature film, O efêmero estado, União de Jeová, Sobre Udelino de MatosA negacão do Brasil, about the history of black characters in Brazilian soap operas, which eventually was also released as a book. Joel Araújo’s film, É Tudo VerdadeFilhas do ventoTiradentes, was named best film by the audience and was selected to participate in festivals in India, France, South Africa, and Cameroon. Learn More