Name: Brasília, Contradições de uma Cidade
Genre: Documentary, Short
Released: 2007-09-30
Duration: 23 min
Rating: 7.4
Cast: Ferreira Gullar

In the middle of a perfect dream, poverty and unemployment

"Brasília, contradições de uma cidade" (the translation would be something like the contractions of a city) is a documentary about some urbanistic points of Oscar Niemaier and Lucio Costa's project of Brazilian capital. The city, designed in the mid 50's to become the capital of Brazil was a great idealistic project, that included a social and aesthetical view. There was also a economical and geographic importance, since the city is located right in the middle of the country.

Unfortunately, when the city came up, the situation was different: the so-called "cidade satélites", located in the surroundings of the capital were completely different from the project, where the poor workers, who had raised up the city were now unemployed and living in terrible conditions.

That's what this film is about: in the middle of a perfect dream, the dreams of a nation, the usual social problems..

Portuguese-language cinema, spanning Portugal, Brazil, and other Lusophone regions, focuses on history, cultural identity, and the struggles of ordinary people, often framed with poetic or allegorical storytelling. In Portugal, cinema has emphasized meditative pacing and philosophical depth, reflecting on memory and tradition. In Brazil, it has often been politically charged and socially vibrant, highlighting inequality and resilience while experimenting with popular and avant-garde forms.

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The documentary is a form of non-fiction storytelling that aims to present factual information, insights, and perspectives on real-world subjects, events, issues, or people. Documentaries can cover a wide range of topics, including history, science, culture, social issues, nature, biographies, and more.

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The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

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Images of Brasilia in its sixth year and interviews with different categories of people living in the capital. One question structures the documentary: could a fully planned city, created in the name of national development and the democratization of society, reproduce the inequalities and oppression that exist in other regions of the country?

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Ferreira Gullar in Brasilia, Contradictions of a New City (1968)

Brasilia, Contradictions of a New City

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