The Doha Film Institute (DFI) will screen Brazilian short films on September 25 and 26 at 7pm at the Museum of Islamic Arts (MIA) auditorium.
Organised in partnership with the Qatar Museum Authority, the Brazil cinema showcase is presented by the DFI every month as part of Qatar-Brazil Year of Culture 2014, underlining the year-long cultural collaboration between the two countries to build a legacy of artistic exchange.
This month, the institute screens five short films: The Boy at the Five, The Mai Brothers, Sana, The Comforting Hand and To Sleep Quietly. All films are screened with Arabic and English subtitles.
Directed by Marcelo Matos de Oliveira and Wallace Nogueira, The Boy at the Five has won 23 awards, and has been screened in 63 film festivals in 22 countries. It narrates the story of Ricardo, a vulnerable, lonely boy who finds a puppy that belongs to Téo, a homeless kid. Ricardo will do anything to stay with his new and only friend, while Téo fights to recover what belongs to him.
The Mai Brothers by award-winning filmmaker Thais Fujinaga, charts the journey of two brothers who go through the city centre in search of a birthday gift for their grandmother, but the more they walk, the further they seem from achieving their goal.
The documentary Sana is directed by Marcos Pimentel, who has several creative documentaries to his credit. Set in the backcountry of the Brazilian state of Maranhão, it brings to screen the life of a boy searching for something amid the immensity of the landscape.
The Comforting Hand is a fantasy film directed by Gabriela Amaral Almeida. It depicts the life of Estela, a telemarketing operator, who plans a party for her only child’s ninth birthday that has minimal chances of success.
Directed by Juliana Rojas, To Sleep Quietly is a horror film that tells the story of Luis, whose nanny died a few weeks earlier. When the nanny reappears, hidden in the closet, Luis must go to great lengths to satisfy her hunger.
Tickets are priced QR35; students receive discounted rates of QR25 on presenting a valid student ID. Tickets can also be purchased from September 24 at the MIA-DFI ticket outlet across the MIA auditorium.
