Brazil’s Anti-Femicide Patrol and Mexico’s Queer Rodeo Scene Among Tales Told in Visions du Réel’s Work-in-Progress Projects

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As a devoted cinephile, I’m thrilled to share that on Tuesday, I’ll be highlighting six daring international documentaries that are nearing completion, as part of the highly selective Work in Progress showcase by Visions du Réel. This event takes place at their industry platform in Switzerland.

The program encompasses diverse themes such as government brutality, LGBTQ+ identity, shared history, strength, and defiance. It delves into these topics from various perspectives, including war-ravaged Chechnya, blockaded Gaza, Brazil’s anti-violence against women units, and Mexico’s hidden queer rodeo culture – presenting compelling, character-focused stories in a rapidly changing global landscape.

The assortment encompasses not only seasoned filmmakers like Hassen Ferhani (“143 Sahara Street,” “Roundabout in My Head”), who are coming back to VdR with his producer Eugénie Michel Villette (“Six Pieds Sous Terre”), but also budding talents presenting their first films at the festival.

Each of the six projects is a joint production across international borders, supported by prominent organizations such as ARTE, CNC, the Sundance Documentary Fund, and IDFA’s Bertha Fund.

EbMaster spoke with the filmmaking teams ahead of the pitch.

The film titled “Alea Jacarandas” (France, Algeria), directed by Hassen Ferhani (known for “Roundabout in My Head” and “143, Sahara Street”), presents a poetic, deeply personal account of the city of Algiers. Originally intended as a love letter to the city, the film transforms following the demise of the director’s father. Through this tragic event, Ferhani perceives Algiers through his own perspective, influenced by the wisdom he gained from his father’s viewpoint.

Ferhani shares that the movie serves as a conversation among past and present, literature and film, a father’s writing and a son’s cinematography. As he grapples with his father’s absence, he gains new insights into his father’s clear affection for Algiers and subtle defiance of darkness. In the end, he discovers where he fits within this narrative,” Ferhani explains to EbMaster.

The film “Alea Jacarandas” was created by Eugénie Michel Villette at Les Films du Bilboquet and Oualid Baha at Tact Production. Funding for this project comes from ARTE, the CNC, the Institut Français in Algiers, Algeria’s national film fund FDATIC, Creative Europe Media, France’s Centre National des Arts Plastiques, French sales company Andana and Météores Distribution. Ferhani is looking to secure further funding and partnerships with festivals at Visions du Réel, where his work has been recognized in the past.

The documentary titled “Emergency Measures” (Brazil) by André Bomfim delves into the operations of the Maria da Penha Patrol, a groundbreaking police team in Alagoas, Brazil, which is named after a significant anti-domestic violence law. This patrol employs a compassionate, community-centric approach to provide essential aid to women in perilous situations, making them an indispensable resource in one of the world’s most hazardous regions for gender-based violence. By following the stories of four officers, this documentary highlights both the unit’s triumphs and the escalating internal difficulties they encounter as they confront growing challenges.

Bomfim states, ‘Police forces reflect society as a whole, making them inherently political.’ This means confronting the same issues of misogyny, sexism, bias, and resistance to equality that are prevalent throughout society. Bomfim aimed to change the focus from offenders to victims and foster genuine connections with police officers.

Gustavo Rosa de Moura from Mira Filmes and Alessandra Orofino of Peri Productions have created “Emergency Measures.” This film has received funding from Brazilian state grants and serves as a follow-up to Bomfim’s initial work, “I’m Still Alive.” The team is currently trying to sell the movie internationally at VdR.

“In Cod We Trust” by Guro Saniola Bjerk is a heartwarmingly humorous, close-up depiction of Båtsfjord, one of the world’s most northerly fishing hamlets. Here, cod takes precedence over deity, and despite the frigid landscapes, the people are radiating warmth. Over four years, this documentary offers a candid view of the town’s peculiar and varied residents, delving into themes of belonging, self-identity, and tenacity in a remote settlement where bonds are forged by fish and nature.

Originally from Båtsfjord, Bjerk shared that she’d long harbored a desire to create a movie that would bring laughter – something she never expected would be set in her own hometown. She noted, “Viewers might be taken aback by the familiarity they find in one of the world’s most northerly villages. It’s an uproariously funny film, and as you delve deeper into the characters, it only gets funnier.

Benedikte Bredesen from f(x) produksjoner is the creator of ‘In Cod We Trust’, with Pasi Hakkio of Wacky Tie Films contributing as co-producer, who is also involved in bringing ‘Ultras’ to VdR. The movie has secured television broadcast rights in Finland, Iceland, and Sweden, and will be released theatrically in Norway. It is looking for more sales, responses, and festival collaborations for a release in autumn 2025.

“‘Memory’ by Vladlena Sandu” is a heartfelt, semi-autobiographical work that delves into the poet’s traumatic childhood experiences in war-ravaged Chechnya. Following her escape from Chechnya in 1998, Sandu found herself in exile within Russia. Here, as she narrates, the Chechen genocide was suppressed and propaganda portrayed her people as terrorists.

She emphasized that it was crucial for her to convey historical truths based on her personal experiences, record them, and make them understandable to more people. In her opinion, history should be penned by eyewitnesses. Notably, she had to fabricate a script to film in Grozny, and even during the production process, only a select few crew members were privy to the genuine story.

The movie titled “Memory” is created by Yanna Buryak from Mimesis, and jointly produced by Ludovic Henry of Limitless and Raymond van der Kaaij of Revolver. This film receives financial support from CNC’s Aide Aux Cinémas Du Monde, the Netherlands Film Fund, Région Île de France, and IDFA’s Bertha Fund. At VdR (Venice Development and Co-production Roundtable), the team is actively looking for sales agents, broadcasters, and partners who are committed to making a difference, aiming for a 2025 release.

The movie titled “Jaripeo” (in France and Mexico) is the first work by filmmakers Efraín Mojica and Rebecca Zweig. It delves into the concealed queer subculture nestled within Mexico’s traditionally hypermasculine rodeo culture. The story unfolds during the Christmas season of Jaripeo, focusing on rancheros Noé and Joseph as they navigate machismo, identity, and forbidden desire. Narrated by Mojica, the film includes re-enactments bathed in red strobe lights and grainy music, providing an “intimate, multilayered examination of identity” in a realm where queerness is often unspoken but palpable.

Zweig states that the film demonstrates how one can exhibit both openness and homophobia simultaneously, much like real-life paradoxes. It’s a documentary exploring desire in its intricate layers and unique quirks,” suggests a more natural and easy-to-understand rephrasing.

Co-director Mojica notes: “When I tell folks I’m crafting a movie featuring gay cowboys, they often respond with, ‘There were no queer cowboys.’ Yet, indeed, there were. This film aims to challenge our hidden prejudices and reflect ourselves on the screen.

The documentary titled ‘Jaripeo’ is being created by Sarah Strunin from Jaripeo Documentary, Carine Chichkowsky of Survivance, Gerardo Guerra and Juan Pablo González of Tierra Roja. It also has backing from ITVS, Arte, the Sundance Documentary Fund, Chicken & Egg Films, and SF Film. The group is looking for creative suggestions, further funding, distribution opportunities, and a premiere at a film festival in 2026.”

“Sarah Strunin of Jaripeo Documentary, Carine Chichkowsky from Survivance, Gerardo Guerra and Juan Pablo González of Tierra Roja, along with support from ITVS, Arte, the Sundance Documentary Fund, Chicken & Egg Films, and SF Film, are working on a documentary titled ‘Jaripeo’. They aim to gather creative ideas, secure additional funding, find distribution channels, and plan for a 2026 film festival debut.

“‘Put Your Heart on Your Sleeve and Tread On’ – a poignant piece by Sepideh Farsi (‘7 Veils,’ ‘The Siren’), is an essential, immediate creation birthed out of necessity. Barred from entering Gaza, the filmmaker resorts to Fatem, a young shutterbug in the northern region, to capture life under blockade.”

Farsi explains that her main goal in crafting the storyline was not merely to report news, but rather to depict an emotional odyssey – a portrayal of survival as a young female photographer amidst the continuous conflict in Palestine. Having been imprisoned in her homeland, Iran, and now residing in Europe, Farsi identifies with this situation, albeit not one directly under bombardment. Instead, she empathizes with the struggle to remain creative while living in a war-torn country. It’s about persevering, defying adversity, and continuing to create images.

The movie, created by Javad Djavahery from Rêves d’Eau Productions and jointly produced with Annie Ohayon Dekel from 24images Production, is currently in search of extra financing, post-production collaborators, and international distribution partners.

The projects are being pitched in Nyon on April 8. VdR-Industry runs until April 9.

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2025-04-08 12:47