The Edge of Democracy 2019
This is a gripping and incredibly well-made documentary about the demise of the last two Brazilian presidents, Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva (2003-2011) and Dilma Rousseff (2011-2016). The first is now in prison, while the second was impeached. The Edge of Democracy is narrated in English by the filmmaker, Petra Costa, a renown Brazilian director. Costa intertwines her family history with Brazil’s, as her parents were activists who were sent to jail in the ‘70s (her mother was held in the same facility as ex-president Rousseff). This grounds the documentary and turns it into a personal story that illustrates the bigger political picture. The Edge of Democracy knows that you don’t know much about Brazilian politics, but makes that a source of suspense rather than a disadvantage. It’s a perfect instructive watch.
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It’s more a narrative of the director’s life journey and her personal relationship to what’s happening than a documentary really. While it shows , yes and indeed, a lot of what is happening, it’s not revolutionary. It doesn’t show anything new or thought-provoking. The director, who is also narrating, rarely analyses her own footage, she doesn’t bring historians, political scientists, economists, journalists, people who think differently than her or… somebody else to add up her melancholic descriptions. I got chills because every time you remember how politics deviated from what it was supposed to be, you get this dark feeling… Read more »
As a Brazilian myself and having watched this documentary, I can confirm it’s quite an impressive piece of work. Although a little biased sometimes, it shows quite precisely what happens in Brazil at the moment and it can be perfectly replicated to a big number of democracies around the world: center-left governments being ousted from power due to illegal and unethical maneuvers done by growing alt-right conservative parties sponsored by powerful groups and controlling a vast net of fake news. If you like politics you’ll surely appreciate it.
This a documentry for those who are interested in politics and know little more about Brazil from an alternate angle.
The Edge of Democracy consolidates a lying narrative and even sanctifies a corrupt leader. The film shows a whole generation corrupted by unscrupulous parents, teachers and leaders, led to believe in the superiority of the collective over the individual, the material over the spiritual, equality about a difference, a generation for which reality has to adapt to a story told by a voice narrator as childish as their perception of the world so that their dreams and frustrations can fit into that reality.
A truly lost generation.