Photo: João Pina
Eliza Capai
A dedicated researcher of social movements and Brazil’s collective and personal memory, Eliza Capai creates vibrant documentaries with profound reflective depth.
- Region
- Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Sudeste
- Age
- 47
Authorial vision
Eliza Capai’s artistic vision stands out for her keen focus on contemporary political movements, gender issues, and experiences of the body and territory. The filmmaker interweaves direct documentation of social struggles with accounts marked by deep listening and personal sensitivity, creating narratives that connect the individual to the collective. Her documentary style is characterized by a dynamic rhythm, an insightful use of archival material, and an ability to synthesize pivotal moments in recent history and human emotions.
Filmography
- A Fabulosa Máquina do Tempo
2026 · Documentary · Writer & Director · 70 min
In Brazil's arid hinterland, girls navigate the balance between their mothers' difficult lives and their own dreams for the future, entering adolescence in a place where men still hold a higher social status than women.
- Incompatível com a Vida
2023 · Documentary · Director · 93 min
"Incompatible with Life" is a Brazilian feature-length documentary directed by Eliza Capai that reflects on the experiences of motherhood. When she discovered she was pregnant, the filmmaker decided to record several videos throughout her pregnancy. However, some time later, the fetus was diagnosed with a malformation “incompatible with life.” With this discovery, Capai’s project took a new direction: drawing on the footage of her own pregnancy, the director explored the stories of other women who shared experiences similar to hers, addressing themes such as life, death, and public policy.
- Espero Tua (Re)volta
2019 · Documentary · Writer & Director · 93 min
"I’m Waiting for Your (Re)volt" is a portrait of the student movement that gained momentum starting in 2015, with students occupying state schools throughout Brazil. By following three young people involved in the movement and incorporating archival footage of protests dating back to 2013, the documentary seeks to understand the occupations and their main demands from the perspective of the students involved.
- O Jabuti e a Anta
2016 · Documentary · Writer & Director · 71 min
Following the severe drought that depleted water reserves in the southeastern region’s reservoirs, documentary filmmaker Eliza Capai decides to investigate the massive reservoir projects in the Amazon rainforest, speaking with riverside communities, fishermen, and Indigenous peoples living along the banks of the Xingu, Tapajós, and Ene rivers.
- Tão longe é aqui
2013 · Documentary · Família · Director · 74 min
Drawing on memories from a long journey, a letter is sent to the future. Alone, far from home, and on the eve of her 30th birthday, a Brazilian woman sets out on a journey through Africa. In the letter to her daughter, she recounts her encounters with women living in their own cultures and times. A diary, a road movie, and an invitation to all those who forge their own paths.
Social channels
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