My Home Is Copacabana

A sober, neorealist gaze at street children scraping by, moving between hardship and fleeting hope with quiet documentary-like compassion.

Directed by

Arne Sucksdorff

Genres

Adventure, Drama

Starring

Cosme dos Santos, Dirce Migliaccio, Flávio Migliaccio

Overview

Arne Sucksdorff’s drama follows four homeless children—Jorginho, Rico, Lici, and Paulinho—struggling to survive in the Rio de Janeiro slums. They shine shoes, scavenge food, and pickpocket while dreaming of escape from the streets. When Rico, once escaped from a brutal institution in Caxambu, falls ill, he chooses to return there rather than die outside. A somber portrait of poverty and resilience, the film was selected for the 1965 Cannes Film Festival.

How it feels

Bleak, melancholic, earnest and tense. Measured and needs your attention.

About

Survival, isolation, politics, family

Content

Mild violence and language. No gore or sexual content.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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