Brazilian actor-director Lázaro Ramos has announced his next project, a road movie titled 'Mais Que Irmãos', while at the Berlin Film Festival. The film, produced by ELO Studios, reunites him with collaborator Sérgio Machado and explores a friendship between a singer and a poet. It follows his successful dystopian film 'Executive Order' from 2021.
Renowned Brazilian actor and director Lázaro Ramos revealed details of his upcoming directorial effort at the Berlin Film Festival, where he is promoting Allan Deberton's 'Gugu’s World'. The project, 'Mais Que Irmãos'—translated as 'More Than Brothers'—marks Ramos's fourth feature film and reunites him with Sérgio Machado, known for their collaborations on 'Madame Satã' and 'Lower City'.
The story centers on two friends—a singer and a poet—facing pivotal moments in their lives and careers. Their road trip through Brazil's Northeast becomes a journey of political, musical, and existential reflection. Ramos and Machado intend to transcend biographical elements to create a manifesto highlighting popular culture and poetry as forms of resistance and beauty in Brazil.
This comes five years after Ramos's 'Executive Order', a dystopian drama featuring Alfie Enoch and Taís Araújo, which became the most-viewed Brazilian film in its release year. In the interim, Ramos directed 'Um Ano Inesquecível – Outono' and the documentary 'Bando, A Movie Of'. ELO Studios, which distributed 'Executive Order', is producing the new film.
Ramos expressed enthusiasm, stating, “I am very happy to direct my fourth film and reaffirm my partnership with ELO. Especially because my film will be in direct dialogue with this moment where Brazilian cinema is celebrating its identity and language by telling a story that takes place in our country.” He added that the film aims to capture strong emotions and an unlikely friendship during a formative period in Brazilian history, uncovering foundational cultural elements.
ELO Studios CEO Sabrina Nudeliman Wagon noted the studio's commitment to powerful narratives, saying, “We worked with Lázaro in 2022 and are very happy to produce such a special project. Lázaro brings an irrefutable truth in his work... ‘Mais Que Irmãos’ will portray a Brazil that many are not aware of, but that is the cultural foundation of our country.”
Ramos's career includes standout roles in early 2000s films like 'Madame Satã' and 'Carandiru', often alongside Wagner Moura.