Paid in Blood
8.2
After surviving the massacre in which the police killed ten landless workers in Pará’s Amazon region, Fernando dos Santos becomes the only survivor to reveal his identity and testify. Still shaken, he recounts how the police murdered his boyfriend and tortured his companions, yet the film portrays him as far more than a victim: a courageous man who left the city’s comfort to chase the dream of owning land, using humor and intelligence to endure the solitude of being a gay man in rural Brazil. Alongside him is José Vargas, an idealistic lawyer defending the survivors and their right to justice. As he faces threats and isolation, the film exposes the human cost of truth, resilience, and the struggle for dignity in a land scarred by violence and inequality.
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Ana Aranha Director · Adriana Yañez Writer Tali Yankelevich Editor
First release April 3, 2025 · Produced in Brazil · Production Repórter Brasil
Production
Amana Cine
Production
Repórter Brasil
Production
Brazil
Produced in
Languages
Original title
Pau D'Arco
Original language
Portuguese
Spoken on screen
Portuguese
Release dates
Brazil · April 3, 2025
Premiere · It's All True – International Documentary Film Festival
No release date listed for United States.
Brazil
September 17, 2025 · Premiere · Festival de Brasília do Cinema Brasileiro
South Korea
June 6, 2026 · Premiere · Seoul Human Rights Film Festival
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