Mamonas Forever

Claudio Kahns's 2009 Brazilian documentary is about a band that became one of the country's best-known acts in under ten months. They drew attention with humorous and crude lyrics and sold two million albums in six months. That speed is at the centre. The members had ordinary jobs before they were known; success arrived unprepared and no structure around them was ready for it. The narrative shows this not as a triumph but as a process beyond control. The band was lost entirely in a plane crash in 1996. The documentary leaves this to the final section and does not recount the event in detail; the weight is given to the period they lived. Family members and friends speak. Who it's for: those interested in Brazilian popular music and music documentary. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a critical assessment; the documentary has the character of a memorial.