Man Marked for Death, Twenty Years Later
Coutinho’s film investigates the human cost. It’s a film that morphed into another through 20 years of Brazilian political history. Originally a feature film shot in 1964 with land workers from the peasant league actors, it was thought out as a reconstruction of the events that lead to the assassination of João Pedro Teixeira, political leader and family man in Sapé, Paraíba, dismissed as a dangerous communist radical by land owners and the conservative government. Halfway through the shoot, the military coup happened in March/April 1964, production was shut down, equipment and film stock confiscated. Eduardo Coutinho went back 20 years later to reconnect (towards the end of the regime) with what was left of that family. We soon realise that the widow and mother of nine is one of cinema’s most amazing female characters: Elizabeth Teixeira, who is now 100 years old in 2026, a force of nature. Fiction, documentary, essay, an unforgettable film. I never really miss an opportunity to screen Cabra Marcado Para Morrer, in Brazil or abroad. Happy to screen it at SFF.
-Kleber Mendonça Filho, Curator
Special Guests
Born in Recife, Brazil, Kleber Mendonça Filho became a film programmer and critic while making award-winning short films.
Neighboring Sounds, Mendonça’s first feature film, had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2012 and was Brazil’s entry for the Oscars. The New York Times listed it among the ten best films of the year. Aquarius, starring Sonia Braga, was in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016. It was nominated for a César Awards and na Independent Spirit Awards. In 2019, Bacurau, co-directed by Juliano Dornelles, screened in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Jury Prize. In 2023, Mendonça Filho released Pictures of Ghosts, which was selected as Brazil’s official submission to the 2024 Oscars. The Secret Agent (2025), starring Wagner Moura, premiered at Cannes, where it won Best Director, Best Actor, and the FIPRESCI Prize. It also gardered four nominations at the 2026 Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best International Film, Best Actor and Best Casting) and won 2 Golden Globes (Best International Film and Best Actor). Kleber is also a film programmer for Instituto Moreira Salles and the artistic director of Janela Internacional de Cinema do Recife.
Tickets
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