A brutal and daring ballad about a land enchanted by violence. Russian premiere of a restored copy in the programme The Rebellion of Dreams. Directed by Glauber Rocha.
Black God, White Devil
- Date:
- 30 Jan 2026,
19:30–21:45
- Age restrictions
- 18+
Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol
1964, Glauber Rocha
Brazil
120 minutes, Portuguese with Russian subtitles
Starring: Yoná Magalhães, Geraldo Del Rey, Othon Bastos, Maurício do Valle
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Whether in search of atonement for their sins or in an attempt to justify a life without land, the peasant couple Manuel and Rosa set out to find shelter and a spiritual leader. A chance encounter with the preacher Sebastião, who leads his flock across the parched sertão, points the way: Manuel becomes his devoted disciple and vows to follow him to the end. But Sebastião, who holds the protagonists on the leash of faith, soon dies, and the couple then go in search of a new leader—and find one. Quite possibly to their own ruin.
Shot from Black God, White Devil, 1964
Despite its heroic energy and impulsive youth, it’s a bleak philosophical work of its time, a bitterly terrifying vision of no exit.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker
In 1964, Glauber Rocha’s second film entered the competition at the Cannes Film Festival—and caused a genuine sensation, instantly making the young director one of the most fashionable filmmakers of his time. Black God, White Devil still ranks near the very top of any list of the greatest Brazilian films in history. The film has preserved not only its stature but also its exuberant, exalted energy, which literally bursts from the screen. Rocha looks at the desolate expanses of the sertão and sees a world saturated with violence, which demands it from all its inhabitants—whoever they may be: the righteous or the sinful, saints or killers, or even all of these at once.
