DOLORES wraps the Trilogy of Affection and screens with a post-film talk in Tiradentes: Friday (Jan 30), 9pm, Cine Petrobras na Praça.
DOLORES, directed by Marcelo Gomes and Maria Clara Escobar, has been selected for the 29th Tiradentes Film Festival, running from January 23 to 31. The festival screening takes place on Friday, January 30, at 9pm, at Cine Petrobras na Praça, followed by a conversation with the film team.
The feature is based on an original screenplay by Chico Teixeira and serves as the final chapter of the Trilogy of Affection, which began with “Casa de Alice” (2007). Teixeira, who developed the trilogy, passed away in 2019.
Carla Ribas stars as Dolores, a 65-year-old woman on the brink of a birthday who experiences a premonition: she will open a successful casino. The vision quickly turns into trouble—Dolores once struggled with gambling addiction and has a strained relationship with her only daughter, Deborah (Naruna Costa). She is, however, close to her granddaughter Duda (Ariane Aparecida), who works at a gun shop and dreams of moving to the United States.
“Our desire was to build a fabric of moments in women’s lives—moments of transition—creating conflicts while forging intimacy between the audience and the characters.”
Working from a version originally written by Chico Teixeira and Sabina Anzuategui, Gomes and Escobar developed a new script to give each woman in the family a distinct rhythm and inner drive. They describe the film as an exploration of freedom—and its absence—revealed through “small and big gestures,” through “small and big bets.”
In their view, DOLORES also speaks to the urge to imagine other lives beyond the one you are living. Not necessarily because the present is terrible, but because these women want more—more choices, more room to move, and a chance to rewrite what seems fixed.
The co-directing partnership grew out of years of creative overlap. Gomes says he invited Escobar to work as his assistant director on three films and to collaborate on casting, building trust that later became the foundation for sharing authorship on this project. Escobar highlights mutual respect and a commitment to honoring Chico Teixeira’s work as key to their process.
Described by the filmmakers as “a chorus of voices,” the film aims to portray contemporary Brazilian women without locking them into rigid labels. Contradictions, doubts, and private exchanges between women become part of the narrative engine, shaping how each character negotiates desire, family ties, and the cost of change.
DOLORES arrives in Tiradentes after its world premiere at the San Sebastian Festival, and subsequent screenings at the São Paulo International Film Festival and Festival do Rio. The film will also play at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, which runs from January 29 to February 8.
Produced by Dezenove Som e Imagens, the film is produced by Sara Silveira, Eliane Bandeira, and Maria Ionescu. Misti Filmes serves as associate producer, GT Produções as co-producer, and Califórnia Filmes handles distribution. The project received support from Spcine and Projeto Paradiso’s Brasil no Mundo internationalization program.
Synopsis
On the eve of turning 65, Dolores has a premonition: her life will change. She will own a thriving casino. But her past gambling addiction may stand in the way. Deborah, her only daughter, waits for her boyfriend to be released from prison to start a new life, while Duda, Dolores’ granddaughter, clings to a chance to work in the United States. The three women try to turn their dreams of a better life into reality—betting everything, or nothing.
Service
29th Tiradentes Film Festival
Dates: January 23–31
Film: DOLORES
Screening: Friday, January 30, 9pm
Venue: Cine Petrobras na Praça
After the screening: talk with the film team
Photo: Divulgação
