A lightning rod dispatch from contemporary – and maybe future – Brazil, this astonishing mix of documentary and speculative fiction takes place in the nearly post-apocalyptic environs of the Sol Nascente favela in Brasilia. Here, a fearsome outlaw leads an all-female gang that siphons and steals precious oil from the authoritarian, militarised government, while her sister, recently released from prison, is brought into the criminal enterprise. Queirós and Pimenta combine a dramatised narrative with electrifying captured footage, which integrates the characters into rallies against Bolsonaro and fervent religious services. Presiding over it all are the main actors playing alternate-reality versions of themselves, the fully liberated stars of an epic, hopeful vision. (New York Film Festival)

• Sektion Section: Film
• Programm Programme: Mato seco em chamas / Dry Ground Burning