''Vera'' is a 1986 Brazilian semi-biographical drama film written and directed by

Sérgio Toledo Sérgio Toledo Segall or simply Sérgio Toledo (born in São Paulo, Brazil in 1956) is the son of actress Beatriz Segall and an award-winning Brazilian screenwriter and director most known for his film Vera, that won the Silver Bear for Best Act ...

. Shot in

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

, it stars

Ana Beatriz Nogueira Ana Beatriz Soares Nogueira (born 22 October 1967) is a Brazilian actress. In 1987 she won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 37th Berlin International Film Festival for her role in the film '' Vera'', directed by Sérgio Toledo. Filmogra ...

Norma Blum Norma Blum (born 1939) is a television, theatre and film actress and television presenter. She also works as a motivational therapist, having published several books. Early life Norma de Lacerda Blum was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 11 Octob ...

Raul Cortez Raul Christiano Machado Cortez (28 August 1932 – 18 July 2006) was a Brazilian stage, television, and film actor, director and producer. Cortez died of pancreatic cancer in 2006, aged 73. Filmography *''O Pão Que o Diabo Amassou'' (1957) *' ...

Carlos Kroeber Carlos Henrique Kroeber (1934–1999) was a Brazilian film and television actor. Filmography Movies *1968: ''O Homem que Comprou o Mundo'' *1969: ''Navalha na Carne'' *1970: ''É Simonal'' *1971: '' A Casa Assassinada'' .... Timóteo *1971 ...

, and Aída Leiner. The film is based on the life of

Anderson Bigode Herzer Anderson Bigode Herzer (10 June 1962 in Rolândia, Paraná, Brazil – 10 August 1982, in São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil) was a writer and poet. He died by suicide at the age of 20. The film '' Vera'' by Sérgio Toledo is based on Herzer's life. ...

, a

transgender man A trans man is a man who was assigned female at birth. The label of transgender man is not always interchangeable with that of transsexual man, although the two labels are often used in this way. ''Transgender'' is an umbrella term that inclu ...

most known as the

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

of poems book ''A queda para o alto'' (''Descending Upwards''). Both the book and the movie cover the story of a trans man who attempts to find himself while live in a boarding school in São Paulo, but experiences many prejudices and traumatic experiences. The initial conception for the film's script came following research carried out by the Brazilian government organization Fundação de Bem-Estar do Menor (Febem), as well as the reports written by Herzer in his book, which was published after his death. Funding for the film came from Embrafilme as well as the private sector. Ana Beatriz Nogueira's performance was acclaimed by critics and earned her numerous awards, including the Silver Bear in the Best Actress category at the Berlin International Film Festival, the second Brazilian actress to achieve this following Marcélia Cartaxo's win for ''

Hour of the Star ''Hour of the Star'' ( pt, A Hora da Estrela) is a Brazilian film directed by Suzana Amaral and released in 1985. The film is an adaptation of a book by Clarice Lispector with the same name. In 1986, the actress Marcélia Cartaxo won the Silver ...

.''

Plot

Bauer (birth name "Vera") is a transsexual man who lives in a correctional facility for young people. After writing a book of verses about his life as a young troubled youth, he meets a benevolent, educated man, who helps him. The man even allows him to spend some time at his home, and arranges for a job for him as an intern in his office. He comes into his gender identity and begins to dress as a man, eventually falling in love with a woman and passing as

cisgender Cisgender (often shortened to cis; sometimes cissexual) is a term used to describe a person whose gender identity corresponds to their sex assigned at birth. The word ''cisgender'' is the antonym of ''transgender''. The prefix ''wiktionary:cis ...

to her family. The film succeeds in focusing on Bauer's personality and feelings until his tragic death.

Cast

as Vera *

Eduardo Suplicy Eduardo Matarazzo Suplicy (born 21 June 1941) is a Brazilian left-wing politician, economist and professor. He is one of the founders and main political figures on the Workers Party of Brazil (PT). In the municipal elections of São Paulo in ...

Adriana Abujamra Adriana, also spelled Adrianna, is a Latin name and feminine form of Adrian. It originates from present day Italy. Translations *Arabic: أدريان * Belorussian: Адрыяна (Adryjana) *Bulgarian: Адриана (Adriana) *Chinese Simplifi ...

* Cida Almeida *

Liana Duval A liana is a long- stemmed, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy in search of direct sunlight. The word ''liana'' does not refer to a ta ...

Abrahão Farc Abrahão or Abraão is a Portuguese language surname and given name. It may be a variant of Abraham. The name is most prevalent in Brazil, and more common as a surname. The name may refer to: People Surname *Benjamin Abrahão Botto (1890–1938), B ...

Aida Leiner ''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 December 1 ...

Imara Reis Imara dos Reis Ferreira (born February 14, 1948) better known as Imara Reis, is a Brazilian stage, television and film actress. Biography Imara Reis began acting on stage at Colégio Santa Marcelina. She's Graduated by the Universidade Federal F ...

Reception

In 1986, at the

Festival de Brasília A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival co ...

it won the awards for Best Actress (Nogueira), Best Soundtrack (Arrigo Barnabé), and Best Sound (José Luiz Sasso). In 1987, Nogueira won the

Silver Bear for Best Actress The Silver Bear for Best Actress (german: Silberner Bär/Beste Darstellerin) was an award presented at the Berlin International Film Festival from 1956 to 2020. It was given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance and was chos ...

at the

37th Berlin International Film Festival The 37th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 20 February to 3 March 1987. The Golden Bear was awarded to the Soviet Union film ''Tema'' directed by Gleb Panfilov. The retrospective was in honour of Armenian-American film and ...

, where ''Vera'' was nominated for Best Film. At the

Three Continents Festival The Festival des 3 Continents is an annual film festival held since 1979 in Nantes, France, and is devoted to the cinemas of Asia, and Africa and Latin America. It was founded by Philippe and Alain Jalladeau.Rosely Roth Rosely Roth (August 21, 1959 in São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil – August 28, 1990 in São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil) is considered one of the pioneers in the history of the LGBT movement of Brazil (known in Portuguese as the ''Movimento Homosexua ...

References

External links

* 1986 films 1980s biographical drama films 1986 LGBT-related films Biographical films about writers Brazilian biographical drama films Brazilian LGBT-related films Films directed by Sérgio Toledo Films shot in São Paulo LGBT-related drama films 1980s Portuguese-language films Films about trans men Films scored by Arrigo Barnabé Films based on biographies 1986 drama films {{1980s-Brazil-film-stub