Loosely based on legends surrounding the early life and career of Joao Francisco dos Santos, better known as "Madame Sata," an infamous black Brazilian drag performer who won countless Carnival costume competitions when he wasn't serving time in prison, writer-director Karim Ainouz's sizzling biopic marks an exciting debut. Set in the notorious Lapa district of Rio de Janeiro — Lapa is to Rio what Pigalle is to Paris — the film opens in the early 1930s, a short time before Joao (played with electrifying intensity by Lazaro Ramos) is jailed for theft. A pimp, prostitute and all-around hustler with the dangerous allure of a street criminal, Joao could have sprung full-...
Released:
2002
Rated:
NR
Length:
105 mins