★★★★★
Political documentary and personal memoir collide in this exploration into the complex truth behind the unraveling of two Brazilian presidencies.
Classification: 12
Hauntingly powerful, Petra Costa’s personal examination of how fragile the status quo of society can be with an in depth look at corruption, abuse of power, distortion of truth and how a country can be fractured right down the middle. It’s a story we’re seeing play out across the western world and Costa’s presentation of the narrative in The Edge of Democracy has many unnerving resemblances to recent political events in both Britain and the United States. However the documentary is not about the U.K or U.S but about Brazil, a country while under the leadership of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva known popularly as “Lula” was thriving as his social programs brought prosperity to many. Costa goes in depth, step by step to explain how Lula and his successor Dilma Rousseff inadvertently began a domino effect that would destroy their lives, careers and in many ways Brazil’s stability as a democracy.
The level of access and footage Petra Costa is able to present in The Edge of Democracy is staggering with Lula and Rousseff’s candid reactions to the events unfolding before the camera. News footage, on street interviews with Brazilian citizens, phone taps, depositions and congressional hearings along with Costa’s own narration creates an eerie blend of artistry and documentary as we see a country be manipulated by a malicious oligarchy and vengeful right wing agenda. Costa’s narration provides a personal context to the events, it does offer a bias but it is seemingly impossible to remain neutral in any modern political climate. Her parents were rebellious to the previous Brazilian military dictatorship and there are moments in the film where either Costa’s mother or Costa herself reflect on whether history has begun to repeat itself.
Costa really allows the events to play out as they happen, the content of her film really speaking for herself most of the time. The Edge of Democracy isn’t a documentary that relies on talking head interviews to create a structure, Costa is able to take us to every domino, give us necessary context both factual and emotional but her narration doesn’t distract from the proceedings in fact it can be helpful. There are moments in the film where my jaw dropped at the blatant corruption on display so it was helpful to have Costa there with me in the film to explain how these events were made possible. To see how Brazil could descend into this madness is chilling as you begin to see how many people are unknowingly manipulated by public figures such as Sergio Moro and Eduardo Cunha, that their best interests are not the priority but the advancement and enrichment of themselves. Facts become irrelevant in the court of public opinion as Costa’s interviews with the public display the radical views being adopted by many including support for military intervention and the imprisonment of members of the Worker’s Party.
While Costa does have a political stance on the crisis burgeoning in Brazil, I wouldn’t say The Edge of Democracy is politically biased. So many of the events occurring in the documentary come from the erosion of truth, Lula and Rousseff’s “guilt” and “crimes” seem to be motivated by classism, sexism and the ambition by the conservative base to put themselves back into political power in Brazil. The most dire moments of the documentary have a sick sense of deja vu as the back of your mind hits you with comparisons to Drumpf or Brexit, that democracy can be damaged so easily by greed and selfishness. Hypocrisy is blatant through out the second half of The Edge of Democracy as Costa reveals details from the corruption probe that has rocked Brazil engulfs Lula and Rousseff’s opponents as well. There are no innocents in this story but clear deception and mockery of institutions and it is so disheartening to watch oligarchy triumph over the truth.
What makes The Edge of Democracy so haunting is that there is no solution, no happy ending. Petra Costa tells the story of a country breaking apart, a country her parents had fought for freedom in, that Lula had fought for. Brazil’s current leader is a conservative who favours military intervention and will most likely allow the right wing oligarchy to profit from the new regime. Brazil is left divided right down the middle with seemingly no middle ground to find a new centre, while the incredible detail of the filmmaking makes the story fascinating it doesn’t detract from the tragedy of whats occurred. With the rise of nationalism, populism and right wing agendas worldwide, Brazil’s fate along with Lula’s, his supporters and the Worker’s Party seems grim and Costa’s acknowledgement of the uncertainty of the future makes this documentary an essential and bittersweet viewing.
Director: Petra Costa
Cast: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Petra Costa, Dilma Rousseff, Michel Temer, Eduardo Cunha, Sergio Moro, Jair Bolsonaro
Release Date: June 19th 2019
Available exclusively on Netflix.
Trailer:
Written review copyright ©CoreyBullochReviews
Images and Synopsis from the Internet Movie Database
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