Brazilian singer Lia Levin and actor Thomás Aquino portray a toxic relationship in “Intermitência,” a strikingly original MPB video tackling intimate partner abuse.
Few Brazilian artists carry as many credentials as Lia Levin. A singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and licensed psychologist from the University of São Paulo (USP), she has spent years weaving together every discipline she has mastered. In “Intermitência” — her fourth music video — all of those threads finally come together in one bold, emotionally charged statement about abusive relationships.
A song that arrived with its own video
Unlike her previous releases, “Intermitência” came to Lia already fully formed as a visual concept. The song and the video were born simultaneously in her imagination — a first in her creative process.
This song was born in my head together with a video. It’s the first time that has ever happened. Usually I compose the song and, once it’s finished and recorded, I think of a video for it. This time I automatically pictured myself acting in the video with another actor. We would be in a relationship — sometimes wonderful, sometimes a nightmare.
Sonically, the track borrows from Brazilian country (sertanejo), bachata, and brega without conforming to the visual language of any of them. The result is something genuinely new: a dramatic short film wrapped in a pop song about the cycle of intimate partner violence.
Thomás Aquino plays the abuser
To play the role of the abusive partner, Lia chose Thomás Aquino, one of Brazil’s most celebrated actors. International audiences may know him from the acclaimed films Bacurau and The Secret Agent, both directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho. He also starred in the Globoplay series Guerreiros do Sol and currently plays record producer Ronei Soares in the Globo primetime soap opera Coração Acelerado.
Thomás Aquino is a very powerful and committed actor. That’s why I chose him. I was thrilled when he agreed, because I knew the scenes would turn out great. And they did! Filming with Thomás is easy because he gives so much of himself that you feel completely immersed in the situation.
A feminine perspective, on and off camera
Felipe Corvello directed the video. Lia had originally sought a female director to reinforce the film’s feminine gaze, but found in Corvello a collaborator who listened closely and translated her ideas into images with calm and precision. The final edit was completed together to ensure the narrative stayed true to that perspective.
Felipe managed to listen to me and translate into cinema what were only ideas in my head. We finished the editing together so the narrative perspective would feel genuinely feminine.
A message for every woman in Brazil
Drawing on her psychology background, Lia understands that intermittent relationships are among the hardest patterns for victims to recognize. The video captures this with uncomfortable honesty: tenderness and aggression alternate, mirroring the real-life cycle that traps so many women. For Lia, art is also advocacy.
The more women understand the mechanism and how abuse works, the more we can prevent violence and femicide. Brazilian women need to be clear about their rights and their power — to demand respect and safety for themselves, to seek the right support network and the tools the law provides. In an intermittent or unstable relationship, the man seems to be caring and protecting the woman at some moments, but at others he attacks her completely. That is not love.
Watch the video for “Intermitência”:
https://youtu.be/JuZbl_lPFAE?si=JeKhx0ZzPOlwfjgyPhoto: Disclosure
