Lena Roque

These Women

The plot takes place in 1880, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, following the lives of three strong and determined women. Aurélia, Maria da Glória and Mila are great friends who attend etiquette classes together, but life doesn't take long to put them in completely different directions.

Verdict

When a renowned criminal lawyer sees one of the people she loves most become a victim of the Brazilian penitentiary system, she must decide whether to cross the line that separates her between looking for justice or committing an unforgivable crime.

My Drywall Cocoon

Virginia’s death during her 17th birthday shakes up a luxurious building complex. For most residents, it’s a passing tragedy. For her mother and her friends, it is the beginning of a transformation: the crack in their drywall cocoon.

Dor Sem Nome

Following the sudden suicide of Renan, the eldest son, we witness the devastating and immediate impact this tragedy has on the family members left behind. Unable to grasp the reasons that drove him to this point, each person processes their grief in a unique way: his mother, Eloísa—a teacher—isolates herself, feeling she failed to look after her own son, while his 15-year-old younger brother, Tomás, grapples with a mix of resentment and intense pressure. This short film was developed as a manifesto to raise awareness and support the "Yellow September" (Setembro Amarelo) suicide prevention campaign.

Barraco de Família

Cleide is visited by her daughter Kellen, a successful funk artist who, after a year without any news, reappears in the suburban village where the family lives.

What Is It Worth?

Free adaptation of Machado de Assis's short story "Pai Contra Mãe", having some of Nireu Cavalcanti's 18th Century chronicles as inspiration, the film traces parallels between life in during the slavery period and in modern Brazil.

Terra Vazia

While waiting for answers after her brother's disappearance, Mirela, who lives in the northern zone of São Paulo, encounters a situation that changes her night.

Dive

Maids

Five maids in São Paulo are observed in this episodic, impressionistic film. The women interact with each other, ride busses, work, and have longings: Rai for a husband, Créo for her lost daughter, Roxane for a career in modeling. Quitéria is naive, a gull for thieves. Cida has a husband and also a lover. While each woman gets what she wishes for (more or less), it doesn't always make things better.

Síncope

All Five Millions of Us

"All Five Millions of Us" is a hybrid of documentary and fiction feature film about father absence, based on data released by the National Council of Justice: there are 5.5 million children without paternal recognition in Brazil.

Querida Mamãe

Dear Mom centers on the conflictive relationship between Heloisa, a recently divorced doctor, and her mother Ruth. Heloisa blames Ruth for her bad relationship with her own daughter, her failed marriage, and even her unsuccessful career. It’s a conflict that worsens when Ruth, after being diagnosed with cancer, finds out that Heloisa has fallen in love with Leda, a painter she met at the hospital where she works. The new relationship is not well accepted by her family, let alone by Ruth, which worsens the friction between them.