10 classic and contemporary films to exalt Brazilian cinema

Talking about classic Brazilian films means traversing decades of experimentation, social criticism, popular humor, and aesthetic reinvention. This is also reflected in the more recent works that have elevated Brazilian cinema to a level of respect and global notoriety.

The national cinema has built a trajectory marked by works that engage with the real country — its tensions, affections, and contradictions — and also with the world.

In this curation, classic Brazilian films appear as cultural inflection points. These are titles that expanded boundaries, gained recognition, and consolidated directors and casts as protagonists of an authorship-driven, diverse, and deeply connected cinematography to Brazilian identity. Check out our recommendations below!

Limite (1931)

Directed by Mário Peixoto, this silent film is often cited as one of the most experimental works in world cinema. The fragmented narrative follows three characters adrift in a boat, while memories and anxieties overlap in a poetic structure.

With a vanguardist language and a strong influence from European cinema of the time, the film was rediscovered decades after its release and now appears on international lists of fundamental works in cinema history.

O Pagador de Promessas (1962)

Written and directed by Anselmo Duarte, the film tells the story of Zé do Burro, who tries to fulfill a promise by carrying a cross to the Church of Santa Bárbara in Salvador. When he is prevented from entering, he faces institutional rigidity and sensationalism from the press.

The first and only Brazilian film to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes, the work discusses religious intolerance, power, and morality, establishing itself as a reference in national political cinema.

Vidas Secas (1963)

Based on the work of Graciliano Ramos and directed by Nelson Pereira dos Santos, the film portrays the saga of a family from the countryside amidst drought and extreme poverty.

With an austere and silent aesthetic, the narrative highlights the precariousness of living conditions in the northeastern backlands. The work is one of the pillars of Cinema Novo, a movement that redefined the perception of Brazil on screens.

Central do Brasil (1998)

Directed by Walter Salles, the film follows Dora, a former teacher who writes letters for illiterates at the Central Station of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. When she crosses paths with a boy named Josué, she embarks on a journey through the northeastern hinterlands in search of the child's father.

The narrative builds a sensitive portrait of abandonment, unlikely affections, and social displacement. With a remarkable performance by Fernanda Montenegro, who was nominated for an Oscar, the film became one of the major milestones of contemporary Brazilian cinema.

O Auto da Compadecida (2000)

Based on the play by Ariano Suassuna, the film follows the adventures of João Grilo and Chicó in the northeastern backlands. Mixing humor, social criticism, and popular religiosity, the plot constructs an affectionate satire about power, faith, and survival.

Directed by Guel Arraes, the feature won broad public acclaim by adapting with lightness and intelligence a classic of Brazilian literature, becoming a cultural reference for different generations.

Cidade de Deus (2002)

Under the direction of Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, the film depicts the rise of organized crime in the Cidade de Deus community, also in Rio de Janeiro, from the 1960s to the 1980s. The story is narrated by the young Buscapé, who finds photography as an alternative to violence.

With an agile rhythm and impactful visual language, the film gained international recognition and multiple Oscar nominations. The work exposes structural inequalities without sacrificing narrative complexity and human density.

Carandiru (2003)

Directed by Hector Babenco, the film dramatizes the everyday life of the largest prison in Latin America before the 1992 massacre. The story is told from the perspective of a doctor who performs voluntary work there.

The film constructs a mosaic of characters and trajectories marked by social inequality, violence, and complex humanity. It became one of the highest-grossing films in Brazilian cinema in the early 2000s.

Que horas ela volta? (2015)

Directed by Anna Muylaert, the film follows Val, a housemaid living in her employers' house in São Paulo. The arrival of her daughter, Jéssica, alters the household dynamics and highlights class tensions.

With a delicate and incisive narrative, the work discusses social inequality, mobility, and affection. Regina Casé's interpretation reinforces the human dimension of a structural debate.

Bacurau (2019)

Directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles, the film presents a village in the Pernambuco backlands that disappears from the maps and becomes the target of external forces.

Blending western, science fiction, and political criticism, the work constructs a powerful allegory about sovereignty and resistance. “Bacurau” reaffirms the capacity of Brazilian cinema to reinvent genres from local contexts.

Ainda Estou Aqui (2024)

Directed by Walter Salles, the film adapts the book by Marcelo Rubens Paiva and revisits the memory of the military dictatorship through the story of his family.

The narrative intertwines personal memory and collective trauma, proposing reflection on absence, justice, and historical reconstruction. By integrating this list of contemporary classic Brazilian films, the work reaffirms the role of cinema as a space for elaborating national memory.

CASACOR Publisher is a creator of exclusive content, developed by the CASACOR Technology team based on the knowledge base of casacor.com.br. This text was edited by Yeska Coelho.