The Embassy of Brazil in Beirut and Guimarães Rosa Institute – Beirut, in collaboration with Metropolis Cinema Association, have the pleasure to convene the 8th Brazilian Film Festival, to take place between June 16 and 20, 2026 at Metropolis Cinema, Mar Mikhael, Achrafieh, Beirut.
The festival features a selection of some of the most acclaimed Brazilian films of recent years, exploring diverse genres and offering insights into Brazilian society, history, and politics. The program also features an animated film that will appeal to young audiences and families, as well as a recently re-released classic.
The festival will open with national première of the acclaimed The Secret Agent (‘O Agente Secreto’) (Thriller, Period Drama, 2025, by Kleber Mendonça Filho), winner of the Best Director, Best Actor, FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film, and Art House Cinema Awards at the Cannes Film Festival in 2025, winner of two Golden Globe Awards in 2026, and nominated for four Academy Awards in 2026, including Best Picture and Best International Feature Film. Set in Brazil in 1977, the film follows Marcelo, a technology expert in his early 40s who is on the run. He arrives in Recife during carnival week, hoping to reunite with his son, but soon realizes that the city is far from being the non-violent refuge he seeks.
The program will also include:
The Blue Trail (‘O Último Azul’) (Drama, Distopian, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, 2025, by Gabriel Mascaro) – Tereza, 77, has lived her whole life in a small industrialized town in the Amazon, until one day she receives an official government order to relocate to a senior housing colony. The colony is an isolated area where the elderly are brought to “enjoy” their final years, freeing the younger generation to fully focus on productivity and growth. Tereza refuses to accept this imposed fate. Instead, she embarks on a transformative journey through the rivers of the Amazon to fulfill one last wish before her freedom is taken away—a decision that will change her destiny forever.
Vitoria (Fiction, Drama, 2025, by Andrucha Waddington) – Inspired by an incredible true story, Vitória, starring Academy Award nominee Fernanda Montenegro, follows the powerful journey of a retired woman who took down a dangerous gang of drug dealers and corrupt police officers using footage she captured from her apartment window in Rio de Janeiro. With the help of a journalist friend, she faces the risks and dangers of an unimaginable situation. A film about courage, strength, and the resilience of one woman.
The Best Mother in the World (‘A Melhor Mãe do Mundo’) (Drama, 2025, by Anna Muylaert) – To escape an abusive relationship, Gal places her two young children into the recycling cart she uses to collect trash from the city streets and runs away. Alone and facing the dangers of homelessness, she convinces them they are on an adventure.
Papaya (Animation, 2026, by Priscilla Kellen) – Passionate about flying, a tiny papaya seed in the Amazonian Forest must keep moving to avoid rooting. Through perseverance, she discovers the power of her roots, triggering a revolution that transforms her world and fulfills her dreams in an unexpected way.
City of God (‘Cidade de Deus’) (Drama, Crime, 2002, by Fernando Meirelles) – A landmark Brazilian classic of the 2000s, the film received widespread international acclaim and major award nominations, and was recently restaured and relaunched for a new generation of audiences. The streets of the notorious Rio’s slum, Rio de Janeiro’s “City of God”, are a place where combat photographers fear to tread, police rarely go, and residents are lucky if they live to the age of 20. Based on a true story, the film follows a young boy who, amid the oppressive crime and violence, grows up to discover that he can view the harsh realities of his surroundings with an artistic eye. In the face of impossible odds, his brave ambition to become a professional photographer becomes a window into his world and ultimately his way out.
At a time of hardship and recovery in Lebanon, the festival reaffirms the importance of culture as a sources of dialogue. Through stories that transcend borders, cinema brings people together and reminds us of shared experiences and aspirations. It highlights the value of supporting local initiatives that enrich public life and help strengthen bonds between our socieities.
SCREENING SCHEDULE
Metropolis Cinema, Mar Mikhael, Achrafieh, Beirut
Tuesday, June 16 at 8 PM
The Secret Agent (O Agente Secreto) by Kleber Mendonça Filho (2h38min) | English & Arabic subtitles
Wednesday, June 17 at 8 PM
The Blue Trail (O Último Azul) by Gabriel Mascaro (1h26min) | English subtitles
Thursday, June 18 at 8 PM
Vitoria by Andrucha Waddington (1h53min) | English subtitles
Friday, June 19 at 5 PM
Papaya by Priscilla Kellen (1h15min) | No Dialogue
Friday, June 19 at 8 PM
City of God (Cidade de Deus) by Fernando Meirelles (2h15min) | English & Arabic subtitles
Saturday, June 20 at 8 PM
The Best Mother in the World (A Melhor Mãe do Mundo) by Anna Muylaert (1h46min) | English subtitles