The Devil Queen
Picture a cross between City of God and John Waters: this 1973 Brazilian classic’s mix of gangster grit, colorful camp and LGBTQIA+ pride is still ahead of its time.
Antonio Carlos da Fontoura’s wild romp through the underbelly of Rio de Janeiro has been beautifully restored for its 50th anniversary. Milton Gonçalves gives an astonishing performance as the titular Devil Queen, an imperious crime boss who is as fabulous as she is feared by her minions. When the Queen allows a treacherous partner (Nelson Xavier) to set up a cocky young rube (Stepan Nercessian) to protect her rackets (and her favorite handsome young dealer) from the cops, all hell breaks loose in a bloodbath of double-crosses and revenge. Pulsing with the tropical soul of Rio, funny and delightful but also lurid and violent, this unrestrained and unforgettable film (screened in Berlinale 2023) is still the wildest of rides. 
- Program Strand
- Classics Restored
- Original Title
- A Rainha Diaba
- Year
- 1973
- Classification
- Unclassified 18+
- Country
- Brazil
- Language
- In Portuguese with English subtitles
- Director
- Antonio Carlos da Fontoura
- Producer
- Roberto Farias
- Cast
- Milton Gonçalves, Stepan Nercessian, Odete Lara
- Screenwriter
- Antonio Carlos da Fontoura
- Cinematographer
- José Medeiros
- Editor
- Rafael Valverde
- Genre
- Cinephile, LGBTQIA+ Films, Retrospective, Central & South America
- Company Credits
- Print/Rights: CinemaScópio
