Screenwriting is a work of visual art and extensive research. Below is a selection of Elena Diniz’s screenplays that have made it to the screen. Each a world of its own.
I am Nair Jane
‘I am Nair Jane – The Struggle of Domestic Workers’ is a documentary directed by Carlos Pronzato and produced by the State Council for Women’s Rights (CEDIM/RJ). It tells the story of Nair Jane de Castro Lima, a 91-year-old renowned activist who participated in Brazil’s 1988 Constituent Assembly. Nair Jane was a pioneer in the fight for domestic workers’ rights in Rio de Janeiro. She was instrumental in founding the domestic workers’ union and co-founded the Unified Workers’ Central (CUT), Brazil’s largest trade union center.
The Voice of Social Movements in CEDIM
‘The Voice of Social Movements in CEDIM — Struggles, Conquests, and Challenges’ is a documentary directed by Eunice Gutman and produced by the State Council for Women’s Rights (CEDIM/RJ). The documentary brings together a series of testimonies about the actions, legacy, and trajectory of CEDIM/RJ since its foundation in 1987.
The Angel in the House
Inspired by Virginia Woolf ’s Professions for Women, ‘The Angel in the House’ is an experimental short film directed by Leila Marina, starring Luiza Lou. It follows Virginia’s journey as a writer who is hunted by an angel figure that appears whenever she reaches for her pen. Presented as uninterrupted night terrors, ‘The Angel in the House’ explores her struggle to silence this internalized voice of obedience. She has to kill the angel to claim her own voice.
The Other
Inspired by Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex, ‘The Other’ is a short film directed by Leila Marina, starring Deise Manttuano and Vilma Melo. The story is centered on Anita, a mother who, after her husband’s death, decides to meet his former mistress. Set between reality and the subconscious, ‘The Other’ uses magical realism to depict Anita’s internal journey. In both worlds—one dreamlike, one tangible—Anita confronts the other woman, only to realize that they are reflections of the same condition: two women, both shaped by a divisive society, both the other.
The Friends of 68
‘The Friends of 68’ is a documentary about the political and social upheavals of 1968 in Brazil, a year marked by an oppressive military dictatorship. It tells the story of a group of friends who participated in a student assembly, known as ‘The Occupation of the Rectory’, that stood against the privatization of the Brazilian educational system. The gathering was violently shut down by the military police and resulted in the arrest of 400 students, galvanizing popular support and fueling the mobilizations that culminated into the period’s most iconic political protest: the March of One Hundred Thousand.
