My first feature-length film, this documentary tells the story of Santo Amaro School, where I attended and graduated from high school. It was a century-old school in the Botafogo neighborhood (Rio de Janeiro) that closed in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. Together with classmates from high school and college, I led the project, and we took the initiative—at a time of deep sorrow—to bring the school community together and preserve its memories. The film was financed independently,through crowdfunding, with contributions from 120 people.

It was the first feature-length film experience for most of the team, allowing everyone to understand the demands and scope of a project like this. In my case, I was able to understand the whole process of making a film, from pre-production through to finishing and screening. Interviews were conducted with 47 people connected to the school —students, teachers, staff, and nuns— resulting in 35 hours of recorded footage and an additional 20 hours of archival footage, which were selected to compose a 95 minute film.

Among those interviewed are writer Nélida Piñon, a former student who was the first woman to serve as president of the Brazilian Academy of Letters; singer Isabella Taviani, who performed the school anthem on the soundtrack; and actor Francisco Vitti. In addition, the school’s oldest living student was also interviewed: Zeny Soutto Mayor, a 102 year-old lady.

The film premiered in March 10, 2023, in two screenings for members of the school community and guests, 10 days after the school celebrated its 100th anniversary. For everyone, this premiere and the film itself worked as the farewell that could not take place during the pandemic, due to social distancing — a moment of celebration, born from great pain, that brought to life the core idea behind the entire project: “what memory loves becomes eternal” (Adélia Prado).


Film Festivals in which the film was exhibited:

Olhar Film Festival (2023)
Festival de Sorocaba (2023)
FBCU - Festival Brasileiro de Cinema Universitário (2024)
Festival de Cinema Estudantil de Guaíba (2024)
Festival Internacional de Cinema Independente de Petrópolis (2025).