A modernist glass high-rise that became a symbol of grief hits theaters: ‘Skin of Glass’ opens 03/19 and revisits the 2018 fire.
In Skin of Glass, filmmaker Denise Zmekhol turns a personal reckoning into a public story after learning that the Wilton Paes de Almeida building—her late father’s most famous work—had been occupied by hundreds of unhoused residents in downtown São Paulo.
Skin of Glass and Wilton Paes de Almeida
Nicknamed “Skin of Glass,” the tower was designed by architect Roger Zmekhol (1928–1976) and stands at Largo do Paissandú. The film blends family memory with the city’s fractures, building a poetic meditation on change, inequality, and loss.
“In 2017, after two decades as an immigrant in the United States, I learned of a controversy in Brazil about my father’s most famous work. Skin of Glass, as the Wilton Paes de Almeida building is known, is a creation by architect Roger Zmekhol (1928-1976). The space was occupied by a few hundred unhoused residents. The news reopened doors long closed to a father I lost far too early,” Denise Zmekhol recalls.
Determined to reconnect with her father, Zmekhol returns to Brazil looking for traces of him inside the glass tower, described as a pioneering project for its time. The attempt to enter the building gradually shifts into encounters with the families living there, giving the documentary its emotional center.
She is initially unable to get inside. Then, on May 1, 2018, she is stunned by news that the building is on fire. The tragedy left a lasting mark on the city; in the following month, the director meets dozens of survivors and confronts the complexity of shelter, belonging, and grief.
Release, awards, and production
Running 90 minutes, “Skin of Glass” opens in Brazilian cinemas on March 19, 2026, distributed by Autoral Filmes. A Brazil/U.S. co-production, it has screened at more than 60 festivals and won 13 awards, including Best Feature Documentary at architecture festivals in France, Italy, Spain, and Sweden, plus the Audience Award at the Mill Valley Film Festival (U.S.) and an honorable mention at the Ischia Film Festival (Italy).
The film is co-produced by Denise Zmekhol Produções, ZDFILMS, and iTVS in association with Latino Public Broadcasting and Independent Lens for PBS, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Zmekhol also directed “Children of the Amazon” and “Digital Journey,” and here she frames a portrait of Brazil through a single urban landmark.
Service
“Skin of Glass”, by Denise Zmekhol
Documentary | 90 minutes | Check local age rating
Theatrical release: March 19, 2026
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Photo: Plinio Hokama Angeli
