Breaking Glass Pictures has announced the U.S. theatrical release of the Brazilian gay social-realist drama Sócrates, the assured debut feature by director Alexandre Moratto, winner of the Independent Spirit “Someone to Watch” award. Nominated also for the Independent Spirit award for Best Male Lead and the John Cassavetes award, Sócrates opens theatrically on Friday, August 9 at the Laemmle Music Hall in Los Angeles, on Friday, August 16 at Cinema Village in New York City, followed by a DVD/VOD digital release on Tuesday, August 20.
Produced by Ramin Bahrani (99 Homes), and co-written, produced, and acted by at-risk teenagers from low-income communities in Brazil with the support of UNICEF, the film follows Sócrates—played with bravura by newcomer Christian Malheiros—a 15-year-old on the margins living on São Paulo's coast who must survive on his own after his mother's sudden death. As he faces isolation because of his sexuality, his search for a decent, worthy life reaches a breaking point.
Sócrates had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival, where it was nominated for a World Fiction Award. The film went on to screen at numerous international festivals and has won many awards including Festival Mix Brasil (Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor); Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival (Best Fiction Film); São Paulo International Film Festival (International Jury Honorable Mention for Feature Film); Woodstock Film Festival in New York (Ultra Indie Award for Best Film); and the Miami Film Festival (Jordan Ressler First Feature Award).
In the longstanding Brazilian film tradition of social-realism drama, Sócrates is a refreshing and vigorous take on the coming-of-age tale. Fueled by breakthrough performances and accomplished filmmaking, Alexandre Moratto’s debut feature is an engrossing, beautiful story about love, sacrifice and resilience.
