The Edge of Democracy (2019)

Political documentary and personal memoir collide in this exploration into the complex truth behind the unraveling of two Brazilian presidencies.

Director:

Petra Costa

Writers:

Petra Costa (screenplay), Daniela Capelato (additional writing)

Stars:

Dilma Rousseff, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Marisa Letícia Lula da Silva

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dilma Rousseff	...	Self - Ex-Presidente
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva	...	Self - Ex-Presidente (as Lula da Silva)
Marisa Letícia Lula da Silva	...	Self - Primeira Dama (as Marisa Letícia)
Sergio Moro	...	Self - Juiz Federal (as Sérgio Moro)
Nestor Cerveró	...	Self - Ex-Executivo da Petrobras (archive footage)
Paulo Roberto Costa	...	Self - Ex-Diretor da Petrobras (archive footage)
Marcelo Odebrecht	...	Self - Ex-Presidente do Grupo Odebrecht (archive footage)
Lindbergh Farias	...	Self - Senador (PT) (archive footage)
Jovair Arantes	...	Self - Relator da Comissão do Impeachment (PTB)
José Eduardo Cardozo	...	Self - Advogado de Dilma / Ex-Ministro da Justiça
Eduardo Cunha	...	Self - Presidente da Câmara dos Deputados (PMDB)
Carlos Henrique Gaguim	...	Self - Deputado (PTN)
Paulo Maluf	...	Self - Deputado (PP)
Roberto Requião	...	Self - Senador (PMDB)
Jean Wyllys	...	Self - Deputado (PSOL)

Storyline

A cautionary tale for these times of democracy in crisis, the personal and political fuse in The Edge of Democracy to explore one of the most dramatic periods in Brazilian history. Combining unprecedented access to Presidents Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff with accounts of her own family's complex political and industrial past, filmmaker Petra Costa (Elena, 2012) witnesses their rise and fall and the tragically polarized nation that remains.

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Plot Keywords:

brazilian politics | latin american politics | democracy | impeachment | lula | 

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Taglines:

A cautionary tale of a democracy in crisis

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Genres:

Documentary | History

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Certificate:

TV-14

Did You Know?

Trivia

In June 2019, documents furnished exclusively to news publication The Intercept revealed serious ethical violations and legally prohibited collaboration between the judge and prosecutors who convicted and imprisoned former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on corruption charges: former judge Sergio Moro (now Minister of Justice) repeatedly counseled prosecutor Deltan Dallagnol via Telegram during more than two years of the operation. The conversations show that prosecution had serious doubts about whether there was sufficient evidence to establish Lula's guilt. In other messages Moro stands against investigating a former right-wing president, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, as his support could be important to them.

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Quotes

Self - Ex-Presidente: It's no use trying to stop me from travelling around this country, because there are millions of Lulas, Boulos, Manuelas, and Dilma Rousseffs to do it for me. There's no use in trying to stop my ideas. They're already in the air, and you can't imprison them! There's no point in trying to stop my dreams, because when I stop dreaming, I'll be dreaming through your minds and dreams! There's no point in thinking everything's going to stop the day Lula has a heart attack. That's nonsense! Because my...

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Connections

Features Junho: O Mês que Abalou o Brasil (2014)

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Soundtracks

Canto de Ossanha
Written by Baden Powell and Vinicius de Moraes

User Reviews

Another great work by Petra Costa

Petra Costa is perhaps the best documentary director in Brazil. Her debut is the masterpiece Elena, a very personal look to her sister. The Edge of the Democracy, her third feature, is another kind a monster. A political one, to be exat, in which she narrates the oddly "democratic" impeachment of president Dilma Roussef.

Costa's talent is to make simple footage (either from stock and original shots) into sheer cinematic strenght. A rare gift, I might add.

Details

Official Sites:

Netflix

Country:

Brazil

Language:

Portuguese English

Release Date:

19 June 2019 (USA)

Also Known As:

Impeachment

Filming Locations:

Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil

Company Credits

Production Co:

Busca Vida Filmes, Simmering Films, Violet Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1