Directed by Sérgio Toledo • 1986 • Brazil
Starring Ana Beatriz Nogueira, Raul Cortez, Aida Leiner
Based on the tragically short life of Brazilian poet Anderson Bigode Herzer, this intense drama tells the story of Bauer, a trans man who navigates a difficult upbringing in an orphanage before finding love with a young librarian. He has the sympathy of his mentor, a professor who sees his talent as a poet, but struggles to be understood by others: “I’m not what everyone thinks I am. You hear me? I’m different. I’m something else. Something else.” One of the earliest portrayals in cinema of a transmasculine character, VERA features a remarkable lead performance by Ana Beatriz Nogueira, who received the Best Actress prize at the 1987 Berlin Film Festival.
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