The Edge of Democracy is a powerful documentary that shows the birth and fall of democracy in Brazil. This is an eye-opening film that portrays the threats to the new born or even old democracies around our planet. Watching it gives you a clear idea why we are witnessing an increasing rise of the racist, totalitarian regimes all around the world. Petra Costa director of the The Edge of Democracy tells this story using a personal approach that makes the film quite interesting to watch an appealing. We had the opportunity of interviewing Petra Costa on camera.
Bijan Tehrani
As a child in 1985, filmmaker Petra Costa (ELENA, OLMA AND THE SEAGULL) saw democracy take root in Brazil following years of authoritarian rule under a military dictatorship. Gaining unprecedented access to working-party leaders Lula de Silva and his protégée Dilma Rousseff, Costa traces the downfall of both democratic leaders following corruption scandals that resulted in the impeachment of Rousseff and the imprisonment of de Silva.
Merging the personal and the political, Costa delves to the heart of her country’s unfolding identity crisis, examining widespread institutional corruption while connecting her own family’s complex political and industrial past to Brazil’s current crisis. Capturing a unique historical moment, The Edge of Democracy examines the complex forces at play that erode one system and replace it with another.
Petra Costa is a Brazilian filmmaker whose work encompasses both fiction and nonfiction. Her first film, Elena, premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam and was called a “cinematic dream” by the New York Times and a “masterful debut” by IndieWire. Her second film, Olmo and the Seagull, premiered at the Festival del film Locarno. Her most recent film, The Edge of Democracy, is a poetic telling of the birth and erosion of Brazilian democracy.
The Edge of Democracy
Director: Petra Costa
Screenwriter: Petra Costa
Producers: Joanna Natasegara, Shane Boris, Tiago Pavan
Runtime: 113 Minutes
The Edge of Democracy will be on NETFLIX starting June 19th