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Belov: A Life at Sea

The first biographical documentary film about the greatest Brazilian sailor by miles traveled; the living legend who spent, in total, 10 years at sea.

Setting sail from Salvador - Bahia - Brazil, Capital of the Blue Amazon, the Ukrainian Brazilian personality Aleixo Belov has already circumnavigated the globe five times, three of them alone, aboard a little sailboat built in his own backyard.

Presented by Fundação Aleixo Belov.
Produced by Abubakir Filmes.

  • Tiago Abubakir
    Director
  • Tiago Abubakir
    Producer
  • Tiago Abubakir
    Writer
  • Luiz Humberto Campos
    Writer
  • Leonardo Papini
    Images (all expedition records)
  • Aleixo Belov
    Images
  • Tiago Abubakir
    Images
  • Adson Almeida
    Images
  • Hélio Viana
    Images
  • Tiago Abubakir
    Editor
  • Aleixo Belov
    Key Cast
    "As himself"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Belov: Uma Vida no Mar
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Biography, Adventure, Ocean
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 35 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 18, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    8,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Brazil
  • Country of Filming:
    Brazil
  • Language:
    Portuguese
  • Shooting Format:
    HDCAM
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.33:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Ocean Films Húsavík
    Húsavík
    Iceland
    July 19, 2024
    European Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Wild Oceans FilmFest
    Gijón
    Spain
    Spanish Premiere
    Finalist / Nominee: Best Young Director Award
  • ONA Short Film Festival
    Venice
    Italy
    September 7, 2024
    Italian Premiere
    Winner: "CAI Award (Best Short Film)" and "Best Adventure Award"
  • Friday Harbor Film Festival
    San Juan Islands
    United States
    October 24, 2024
    North American Premiere
    Winner: Best Overall - Young Filmmakers Showcase Audience Choice Award (18-26 y.o)
  • Festival de Cine del Mar
    Concepción
    Chile
    May 8, 2025
    Chilean Premiere
    Official Selection
  • UCI Orient Shopping Barra
    Salvador, Bahia
    Brazil
    October 24, 2024
    Brazilian Premiere
Director Biography - Tiago Abubakir

Tiago Abubakir is a 22 year-old emerging independent filmmaker born in Salvador - Bahia, Brazil. He's currently majoring in Communication.

Since 2017, Abubakir has been consistently producing a wide range of audiovisual content from multiple genres and formats, including promotional spots, narrative short films, VFX, and video mapping projects.

BELOV: A LIFE AT SEA is his very first documentary project.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

From the Capital of the Blue Amazon to the World.

Presented by Fundação Aleixo Belov, and inspired by the UN Ocean Decade (2021-2030), this award winning short is the very first biographical documentary film about one of the most emblematic figures in the Brazilian sea universe; the war immigrant that, in addition to having spent 10 years at sea, being a living testimony to man's capabilities, is the builder of a powerful legacy that continuously amazes all generations.

This is the tribute to his life and career.

As a 22 year-old emerging film director who's always been passionate about the sea, I was more than determined and excited to generate an engaging experience to global audiences through sophisticated manipulation of the cinematographic language.

It took me about one year to get this film made. At the beginning of everything, it was just me, a friend of mine of the same age and the following dream: to tell Belov's complex story in a synthetic and epic way, for the first time.