Stories of Samba

Pedro Serrano's 2024 Brazilian film is about the samba composer Adoniran Barbosa. At a bar table he tells a young waiter about a São Paulo that no longer exists, and the narrative moves back through those memories. At the centre are the characters who entered the songs. The people and places named in Barbosa's compositions are acted out; the narrative deliberately blurs the line between biography and lyric. Paulo Miklos plays Barbosa. The narrative keeps urban redevelopment and the demolition of poor neighbourhoods in the background; the music is both subject and means of telling. The tone is nostalgic and the humour bitter. Who it's for: those who like Brazilian music and period films. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a precise biography; the film starts from the songs and builds its events freely.