A Dog's Will

A Dog's Will (O Auto da Compadecida, 2000) is a Brazilian fantasy comedy you can watch online on iFILM. Directed by Guel Arraes and produced by Globo Filmes, the film adapts Ariano Suassuna's celebrated 1955 stage play — a cornerstone of Northeastern Brazilian culture — into 104 minutes of folk-tale absurdism.

Two broke drifters in the arid sertão: fast-talking João Grilo (Matheus Nachtergaele) and cowardly, compulsive liar Chicó (Selton Mello) con everyone in their small town — the priest, the wealthy landowner, the local outlaw. Then they die. At the heavenly tribunal, Christ, the Devil, and the Virgin Mary (Fernanda Montenegro) weigh their fate. The trial turns out to be every bit as chaotic as their lives on earth.

The film mixes the oral poetry tradition of cordel literature with sharp class satire and Catholic folklore. It grossed nearly five million dollars in Brazil and remains a benchmark of national cinema. Stream A Dog's Will (2000) online on iFILM.