I co-directed this short documentary with Pedro Miguel Oliveira under my label La Madre Docs, in partnership with Rock in Rio and the music platform Reverb. The camera moves through a scenic space of “islands,” where different characters reveal their intimate bond with music: a ballerina with multiple sclerosis who regained movement through dance; a surgeon who introduced the practice of playing jazz during surgeries and founded São Paulo’s first Bossa Nova band; and a rapper who confronts transphobia with powerful verses.

The film also unfolds into a semiotic exploration, with the legendary Tom Zé narrating what music is from a scientific perspective — vibratory waves acting on the brain — in a scene with a science fiction atmosphere. Between live demonstrations of musical layers and statements from Ivete Sangalo, Emicida, Alcione, and Tom Zé himself, the film became both essay and rehearsal. Its soundtrack was composed and produced by Grammy-winning musician and maestro Xuxa Levy, amplifying this journey through music as an expression of emotion, science, and resistance.

I contributed to this short documentary as executive producer and writer, under the La Madre Docs label, directed by Danilo Arenas. The film portrays the struggle of the Huni Kuin people from the Novo Segredo village, on the Envira River in Acre, against threats such as water scarcity, river contamination, religious interference, cattle ranching, and logging. It highlights their spiritual connection with the Yuxibu, the spirit of the forest, and the guardians who protect this bond.

The film achieved international recognition, receiving several awards abroad. Its premiere took place within Vozes da Floresta (Voices of the Forest), a festival I co-organized with the indigenous-led Coletivo Tribo at Matilha Cultural in São Paulo. Alongside the screening, the event featured panels with filmmakers, a photography exhibition, workshops with Huni Kuin members, and the distribution of sacred Amazonian plants used in ancestral ayahuasca rituals. It became an essential space for urban audiences to engage directly with Brazil’s indigenous cultures and their struggles for land, identity, and survival.

I co-directed this short documentary with filmmaker André Chitas under the La Madre Docs label. It follows Cauê, a 9-year-old boy from Ubatuba, on the coast of São Paulo, who is educated outside the traditional school system by his mother. Through the lens of deschooling, the film explores learning without a rigid curriculum and in deep connection with nature.

The documentary gained wide attention when it was featured on Programa do Bial, a late-night talk show on Brazil’s largest TV network, Rede Globo. Its broadcast sparked national debate and helped establish the film as a lasting reference for academic research on deschooling.

I directed this short documentary alongside Danilo Arenas. It explores the reflections of a watchmaker, highlighting a craft that is on the verge of extinction in the digital age, as well as his intimate relationship with time. This film also marks the launch of La Madre Docs, a label dedicated to original, author-driven documentaries.

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