Have a Nice Carnival

Labyrinth

May 2016 •German

Black Orpheus

June 1959 •Portuguese

Young lovers Orfeu and Eurydice run through the favelas of Rio during Carnaval, on the lam from a hitman dressed like Death and Orfeu's vengeful fiancée Mira and passing between moments of fantasy and stark reality. This impressionistic retelling of the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice introduced bossa nova to the world with its soundtrack by young Brazilian composers Luiz Bonfá and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Jonah

October 2016 •Portuguese

During Carnival in São Paulo, a young man and young woman who knew each other as children meet again after many years and the social barriers that have kept them apart. Bad decisions lead the boy to hide with the girl inside a whale float.

O Carnaval é de Pelé

December 2024 •Portuguese

This short film follows Pelé, a retired nurse who looks back on his time as a Mateus in the century-old Bumba Meu Boi group, Boi Tira-Teima. As he builds a new boi for the festival, he revisits the defining moments of his journey as a performer, carnival artist, and son of Mestre Gerson, the group’s former patriarch. The film explores how the way we carry our memories of the past shapes who we become in the present.

An Unforgettable Year – Summer

June 2023 •Portuguese

In order to study fashion in so-desired Paris, a young country girl who hates Carnival travels to Rio de Janeiro to try to get support from the most famous designer in Brazil. Set on sneaking into the sewing team of one of the biggest samba schools, she will discover that Carnival only lasts for a week, but a love story can change her entire life.

À Festa. À Guerra.

January 2015 •Portuguese

Carne de Carnaval

January 2019 •Portuguese

Arriba quemando el sol

September 2014 •Spanish

Juana, a young woman in her twenties sets out on a backpacking trip to the northwest of Argentina. Her aim is to find some places and people that appear in a series of photographs that she carries with her. As the adventure goes by, Juana finds out that the deepest meaning of the trip was but the simple fact that she has travelled through the experience itself.

PASSAGENS

December 2024 •Portuguese

The film depicts Bruno's encounter with an old flame at the Recife airport. He then recalls the moments spent with Alice during a carnival, and his feelings start to resurface. But could that passion have been just a creation of his mind?

La maschera pietosa

April 1914 •Italian

Italian drama from the Società Anonima Ambrosio company.

Quarta Cinza

August 2024 •Portuguese

Memória em Verde e Rosa

June 2016 •Portuguese

The Mangueira slum is the scenario where Tantinho and the old samba composers remember stories about the slums and samba.

Biografía de un carnaval

January 1983 •Spanish

Filhos de João, O Admirável Mundo Novo Baiano

July 2011 •Portuguese

A panorama of Brazilian popular music from the 60s and 70s through the musical group Novos Baianos. A retrospective of the community lifestyle adopted by its members and the influence inherited from singer João Gilberto.

Artesanato do Samba

January 1974 •Portuguese

The making of the samba school parades, with the construction of the great cars, the decorations being spread all over the city and the hand-crafted tailoring of the costumes by apt hands that stitch together colourful and glowing materials.

Arthur et les confettis

October 2023 •French

Carnaval

June 2021 •Portuguese

Digital influencer Nina finds out about her boyfriend's betrayal and ends the relationship. So, she decides to travel with her friends to Salvador and enjoy the city's Carnival. During this period, they gain more followers and learn the true meaning of friendship.

Donaire y Esplendor

September 2017 •Spanish

In the traditional carnival of the small town called Las Tablas, there are two rival streets: Up Street and Down Street. A young couple, after an unexpected encounter at the airport, fall hopelessly in love.

Tererê Não Resolve

March 1938 •Portuguese

DAZZLEDDARK

October 2023 •English

Made for a show beside the seaside in Margate.