Macunaima

Macunaíma (1969) is a Brazilian fantasy-satire you can watch online on iFILM, directed by Joaquim Pedro de Andrade. Born a grown man deep in the Amazon, the lazy hero loses his mother and heads for the big city with his two brothers.

Strange wonders follow. He steps under an enchanted waterfall and walks out as a completely different man, then reinvents himself as a São Paulo dandy and falls for a young revolutionary. Adapted from Mário de Andrade's modernist novel, the film blends folklore, slapstick and sharp mockery of Brazil's so-called economic miracle. It's a cornerstone of Cinema Novo — loud, absurd and far from a children's tale, made for viewers who like their movies with a hidden edge. Grande Otelo and Paulo José split the lead role between his two skins. Stream Macunaíma (1969) online on iFILM.