Join Fruits on Film for the second film in its August launch series, with an introduction by Cine Brazil’s Annaís Berlim.
About Onda Nova:
Women’s football was banned in Brazil until 1979, and women were only able to form teams in 1983, the year Onda Nova was produced. Banned by the Brazilian dictatorship before its release and recently restored, the film brings together stories about the young players of the newly formed Gayvotas Football Club. With the support of players from the 80s who were well-known for their political stances as well as their football, this erotic and anarchic comedy features cameos from Casagrande and others involved in the Brazilian struggle for democracy. Facing the many prejudices of a conservative society while navigating personal, romantic, and family dynamics, the team prepares for a symbolic international match.
A note from the Fruits on Film curators:
You could be forgiven for thinking that Martins and Garcia created Onda Nova with the prohibitions of the Brazilian censorship board as their checklist; the film runs the gamut of erotic scenes, unabashed queerness and undoubtedly scandalous subversions of gender. In one scene a character (called Potato) casually decides to get an abortion, a choice still heavily criminalised in Brazil today. But the film acts as more than just a provocation; smart political satire runs as a parallel undercurrent to the circuitous, ridiculous plot of a chaotic women’s football team. These characters are so free, and act with such gay abandon, that we’re left both with hopefulness for future liberation and rage at what persists in reality. Audiences of Onda Nova, or New Wave, should expect to be swept up in this wild ride of comedy, sex and anarchic defiance.
Content warnings: Explicit sexual content, strong language, homophobia, violence.
About Annaís Berlim:
Annaís is a social scientist graduated in Brazil, with a focus on cultural policies and projects, and she has a post-graduate specialization in human rights and global citizenship. She is a co-founder of Brazil Matters and currently works as LGBTQ+ specialist and case worker at Latin American Women's Aid.
About Cine Brazil:
Cine Brazil is a small group of Brazilian friends living in London, UK, passionate about film and activism. Formed in 2019, they organise pop-up screenings of Brazilian films in London, collaborating with a variety of partners, organisations and venues.