Born to slaves in the arid wasteland of Northern Brazil and sold by his mother at the age of 7 for a mule, Joao Francisco dos Santos (Lázaro Ramos) battled all stereotypes on the mean streets of Lapa, Rio de Janeiro. Jailed for 27 of his 76 years, dos Santos was an explosive figure prone to excessive bouts of violence and moments of extreme tenderness the next. Karim Ainouz's extraordinary and complete portrait of the triumphs and tragedy of this colorful personality unfolds against the vibrant, sordid background of Lapa in the 1930s: a thronging underworld of pimps and whores, of cut-throats, queers and artists, of dark bars and brothels thick with smoke, drenched in sweat and cheap perfume. A world filled with violence and raw desire, where desperate dreams spring from poverty and squalor.
We use cookies to help you navigate our website and to keep track of our promotional efforts. Some cookies are necessary for the site to operate normally while others are optional. To find out what cookies we are using please visit Cookies Policy.