The Ballroom

The film is set in an old time dance hall in Sao Paulo. What it tells is a single evening. We meet the people who come to the hall that night. Some recall the past, some wonder about the future. They have fun, they flirt, they fight. And of course they dance. Ageing, loneliness and desire are the themes running through it. The humour is earthy and direct. The dance hall is the central setting of the account. Stepan Nercessian and Maria Flor are also in the cast. The film carries this with drama, romance and music together. Leonardo Villar and Tônia Carrero take the leads, with Cássia Kis and Betty Faria also in the cast, in Laís Bodanzky’s Brazilian film of 2007.