Friday 27.11. | 20:30 | Bio Oko

Uranium, mosquitoes and a secret experiment in the Brazilian hinterland. A satire unafraid of horror.

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In the remote town of Picuí in northeastern Brazil, a top-secret project is launched: foreign scientists plan to use uranium from local mines to sterilize mosquitoes that spread the deadly dengue fever. Nuclear physicist Rúbia is tasked with ensuring that everything proceeds safely, but project leader Bill Raymond is in a hurry and has little regard for the rules. When the experiment goes wrong, disaster threatens, and Rúbia must join forces with local uranium prospectors, who know the land better than anyone else.

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Tiago Melo has created a ride that is as entertaining as it is terrifying. Dark humour, local UFO legends, inventive science fiction and sharp satire aimed at global powers that claim to “help” other countries. The film had its world premiere in the Tiger Competition in Rotterdam, where it stood out as a delirious blend of geopolitics and apocalyptic anxieties.

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Fun fact: Melo, who worked as a producer on Bacurau and Neon Bull, shot the film in his father’s hometown. The stories about flying saucers and uranium circulating in Picuí led him to a genre that had never been among his favourites. The lead role is played by Rejane Faria, who at the age of 65 carries an entire film for the first time. She is joined by Tânia Maria, known as Dona Sebastiana in The Secret Agent.