Mariola Filmes

The documentary takes Belchior’s famous 1976 album as a starting point to construct a chronicle of 1970s Brazil—a time defined by a generation that sought to change the world but was ultimately cut down by dictatorships or co-opted by money.

Born in Arcoverde, in the backlands of Pernambuco, the lonely boy who was raised by his father after his mother left, João Silva soon discovered a passion for the northeastern rhythms, such as the baião, xote and forró. He went to Rio de Janeiro when he was still a little boy to meet the idol Luiz Gonzaga. Both men, who were not very fond of each other when they first met, became not only great friends but also partners in many hits like “Doutor do Baião”, “Nem se Despediu de Mim” and “Pagode Russo”.

A suburban neighborhood in Recife (Peixinhos) shows that freedom has a past, present, and future.