Keswick Film Festival

Synopsis

Prisoners in the São Paulo Carandirú Penitentiary tell the tales of their crimes to the visiting Doctor.

Prisons don't come much meaner than this one. It's a tinderbox just waiting for a spark to ignite it, which is exactly what happened one fateful day in 1992 when riot police stormed the building.

Babenco discovers an unexpected warmth within the grim prison walls as tales of love, jealousy, failed escape attempts and the on-going AIDS epidemic grab us by the throat.

Funny, violent, and shocking, this is a rich tapestry of stories woven together with a masterful touch.