Ritas

Oswaldo Santana's documentary covers the life and working method of the Brazilian musician Rita Lee. The narration rests on old interviews she gave across her career; her own voice guides the film throughout. The plural in the title points to how many times Lee remade herself. Emerging from tropicalismo with Os Mutantes, leaving the band, moving between rock and pop in her solo career and becoming Brazil's best-selling woman musician in the eighties are all treated as separate periods. Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethania are among those who speak. The best sections are the archival ones, with stage performances and studio footage taking up considerable space. The pressure she faced under the dictatorship is also part of the account. Who it's for: those interested in Brazilian popular music and tropicalismo. Who it's not for: viewers looking for critical distance; the documentary is openly built as a tribute.