Neirud

(Neirud)
Fernanda Faya | Documentary

2023 | 72 minutes | Brazil

Fernanda Faya uncovers her aunt’s hidden past as a queer circus wrestler, revealing a rich story of identity, race, and resistance in Brazil.

Gender + Sexuality Studies Women Biography Family Afro-Latin Studies Body Image Sociology South America Latin American Studies History
Synopsis

Neirud is a compelling documentary that unearths the lost legacy of a mysterious woman who once defied social norms and cultural boundaries. When filmmaker Fernanda Faya discovers that her late aunt—known only as Neirud—had a secret past as Gorilla Woman, a controversial wrestling persona in an underground all-female Brazilian circus troupe, she embarks on a personal journey through forgotten archives and fractured family memories. Spanning the 1960s to the 1980s, Neirud explores vital themes of race, identity, gender performance, and queer visibility in Latin America. Through its rich historical lens, the film becomes a powerful educational resource on marginalized communities and the transformative power of storytelling.

Reviews

“Brazilian director Fernanda Faya, making her feature debut, explores the secret history of her Aunt Neirud and Grandma Nelly in this personal exploration of family and memory… Mixing archival film and video footage, Neirud alternates poetic lyricism with poignant anecdotes, the net result is a heartfelt ode to the pioneers of the past who have made today possible.” – Hammer to Nail

"Neirud is not only a great love story, but an acute survey of Brazilian history and progress made in women's place in society… Along with Kleber Mendonça Filho's Pictures of Ghosts, Neirud chronicles changing Brazilian society through the bounds of first-person home movie narrative. Neirud works as a playful cinematic investigation with great warmth and heart." – Dustin Chang, Screen Anarchy

“Neirud is a fascinating story about race and identity, and queer life in last century’s Brazil.” – James Kleinmann, The Queer Review

“It’s an eye-opening tale that makes you smile, makes you get misty and moves us to feel something more than just “I like this film”. What a wonderful unexpected delight.” – Steve Kopian, Unseen Films

"...Faya is able to connect the past to the present and brings to light the usually unseen arbiters of what becomes important." – Stephen Saito, The Movable Fest

“A work of tender homage, Fernanda Faya’s debut feature-length documentary, Neirud, starts and ends as a personal story… The sum total of its parts is a tribute to love (both hidden and overt) and survival. That proves a poignant combination… She [Faya] edits everything into a beautiful mix of shifting images that evoke a dynamic tapestry of vibrant humanity." – Christopher Reed, Hammer to Nail

Citation

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Cataloging

A MARC record for this title is not available yet.

Pragda subjects

Afro-Latin Studies
Biography
Body Image
Family
Gender + Sexuality Studies
History
Latin American Studies
Sociology
South America
Women

Keywords
Neirud,documentary,Brasil,Brazil,Fernadna Faya,LGBTQ+,lesbian,afro-latin,wrestling,female wrestling,circus,gender,sexuality,gender roles,gender identity,sexual orientation,gender equality,gender pronouns,gender studies,gender spectrum,gender norms,gender roles,gender stereotypes,sexual selection,sexualization,sexual awakening,puberty,pubescence,women,womanhood,gender,girl,girlhood,mother,motherhood,female,cis woman,cis female,trans woman,trans female,women’s rights,women’s issues,lady,ladies,gentlewoman,madame,miss,missus,mrs.,dame,damsel,ingenue,lass,maid,maiden,belle,gal,ladyfriend,girlfriend,dear,darling,widow,matron,dowager,gender,gender equality,gender pay gap,women’s liberation,women’s rights,biography,autobiography,biopic,memoir,life history,bio,biographer,biographical,personal account,personal history,diary,personal narrative,sketch,profile,personal letters,letters,journal,personal record,family,kin,fellowship,household,immediate family,extended family,multigenerational family,multigenerational household,kinfolk,family tree,genealogy,nuclear family,modern family,family tree,afro latin america,black latin america,afro latino,afro latinx,afro latina,black latino,black latinx,black latina,afro latin,afro-americanism,afro-brazilian,afro-cuban,afro-haitian,afro-colombian,afro-dominican,afro-mexican,afro-puertorican,afro-honduran,afro-bolivian,afro-argentinian,afro-chilean,afro-peruvian,afro-nicauraguan,afro-guatemalan,afro-caribbean,diaspora,slave trade,body image,appearance,body dissatisfaction,eating disorders,body acceptance,acceptance,body dysmorphic disorder,body dysmorphia,negative body image,distorted body image,confidence,self-esteem,self acceptance,fat acceptance,body acceptance,positive body image,negative body image,weight,fat,overweight,obesity,sociology,anthropology,psychology,sociological,sociological perspectives,conflict theory,human conflicts,sociological thinking,conflict perspective,topics in sociology,sociology topics,sociology studies,social studies,people and cultures,human relations,human relationships,cultural studies,culture studies ,south america,south american countries,countries in south america,argentina,bolivia,brazil,chile,colombia,ecuador,guyana,paraguay,peru,suriname,uruguay,venezuela,south american politics,south american culture,south american cuisine,south american education,south america in media,south american languages,south america history,latin american studies,caribbean american studies,island studies,latin american culture,latin american history,latin american politics,caribbean american culture,caribbean american history,caribbean american politics,latin american languages,latin american and caribbean studies,hispanic american studies,hispanic people,hispanic culture,hispanic politics,history,context,narrative,past,chronicle,lore,annals,historic,personal history,archive,record,saga,biography,memoir,study; "Neirud"; Pragda Films; "Neirud";
Clips
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Festivals

DOC NYC; Cleveland International Film Festival - Special Mention; KASHISH Pride Film Festival - Best Documentary Feature; QueerLisboa - Best Documentary, Audience Award; Olhar do Cinema Curitiba International Film Festival - Best Film, Best Editing; OUTshine Film Festival - Special Mention; Bonito CineSur Film Festival - Best Film; Sole Luna Doc Film Festival - Best Editing; Festival Mix Brazil LGBTQ+ - Best Script; PiriDoc Film Festival - Best Film; BAFICI Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival; Massimadi LGBT + Afro Film Festival

DIRECTOR: Fernanda Faya

NATIONALITY: Brazil

YEAR: 2023

GENRE: Documentary

LANGUAGE: Portuguese

COLOR / B&W: Color

GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adult

SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE

AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE

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