Films by Denize Galiao

Germany 2019, 30 min
by Denize Galiao

When Afro-Brazilian filmmaker Denize Galiao starts feeling that sorrow of loss again, her father sighs and says, “Forget about saudade and carry on.” An old Brazilian legend says that the African gods created the feeling of saudade to remind people where they come from and where they are. And that’s just what she’s suffering from. Twenty years ago Galiao emigrated to Germany, where her dream of becoming a filmmaker came true. But the papayas there never taste as good as in Brazil.Galiao’s parents live in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre, and thanks to Skype her birth country is never far away. Now that her parents need more support, the sense of dislocation is really making its presence felt. “You are physically present, while your mind is somewhere else.” This short film explores and defines the feeling in various ways, both positive and negative. Saudade is a richly layered film about emigration and identity, and about how culture forms your worldview. Will returning to Brazil liberate Galiao from this feeling? (IDFA)

Germany 2013, 60 min
by Denize Galiao

Ricardo Gama lives imprisoned in his own home, the internet being his only access to the outside world. For several days the attorney does not leave his flat, which is located at the Copacabana. On his blog he writes and reports about politics, corruption and criminal activities in Rio de Janeiro. As a result he only barely survived an assassination attempt in 2011 in which he suffered two shots to the head. A year later, Ricardo is running for the City Council of Rio de Janeiro. He sees these elections not only  as a way into politics, but a path to freedom, also. While Ricardo runs his campaign on the Internet, rival politicians are fighting for every vote on the streets with music and dancers.  Through this single destiny a dark side of Brazil is depicted, the world public has not known yet.