Private Project

Desires of the flesh

Since 2016, Pope Francis allows women to be involved in the washing of the feet ceremony. The St. Peter Church´s girls are preparing something special for their first appear at the ritual. Camila just hopes to find Giovana.

  • Rafaela Camelo
    Director
  • Rafaela Camelo
    Writer
  • Daniela Marinho
    Producer
  • Bianca Terraza
    Key Cast
    "Camila"
  • Pâmela Germano
    Key Cast
    "Giovana"
  • Leonardo Feliciano
    Cinematography
  • Carolina Mariko
    Art director
  • Francisco Craesmeyer
    Sound recordist
  • Helena Duarte
    Sound editor
  • Eduardo Canavezes
    Music
  • Apoteótica Cinematográfica
    Productor
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    O Mistério da Carne
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Fantasy, LGBT, Woman, Lesbian
  • Runtime:
    18 minutes 34 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 21, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    28,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Brazil
  • Country of Filming:
    Brazil
  • Language:
    Portuguese
  • Shooting Format:
    ARRI
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • 51o Festival de Brasília do Cinema Brasileiro
    Brasília
    Brazil
    September 21, 2018
    Brazilian premiere
    Official Selection - Mostra Brasília
  • 26o Mix Brasil
    São Paulo
    Brazil
    November 18, 2018
  • Sundance Film Festival 2019
    Park City, Utah
    United States
    January 26, 2019
    International Premiere
    International Narrative Short Films
  • Femcine 9 – Festival de Cine de Mujeres
    Santiago
    Chile
  • 18a Mostra do Filme Livre
  • 5o La Boca Erotica – Festival de Artes de Temática Sexual
    Madrid
    Spain
  • Houston Latino Film Festival
  • XIV Cine PE Festival Audiovisual
    Recife
    Brazil
  • QFFM | Queer Film Festival Munchen
    Munchen
    Germany
  • DIFF | Durban International Film Festival
    Durban
    South Africa
  • Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
  • FEST New Directors | New Films Festival
    Espinho
    Portugal
    Lince de Prata de melhor curta-metragem no FEST New Directors | New Films
  • Queer Lisboa 2019
    Lisboa
    Portugal
  • Nevertheless Film Festival
    Michigan
    United States
  • 20th Nalip Media Summit
    California
    United States
  • FRAPA | Festival de Roteiro de Porto Alegre

    Melhor Diálogo no FRAPA | Festival de Roteiro de Porto Alegre Melhor Personagem para “Camila”, personagem de Bianca Terraza no FRAPA | Festival de Roteiro de Porto Alegre
  • Festival Biarritz Amérique Latine 2019
    Biarritz
    France
    Best Short Film Award
  • Milwaukee Film Festival
    Milwaukee
    United States
  • 23o Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur

    Swaziland
  • 18o International Short Film Festival – Cinemaforum
    Warsaw
    Poland
  • 21º Soria International Short Film
    Soria
    Spain
  • 9o Cinefest Gato Preto

    Best short film, best direction
  • Prêmio ABRA - Associação Brasileira de Autores Roteiristas

    Melhor curta-metragem
Distribution Information
  • Premium Films
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Rafaela Camelo

Rafaela Camelo is a film director and screenwriter born in Brazil in 1985. She has a bachelor ́s degree as a filmmaker at University of Brasilia (DF, Brazil) and a graduate degree in scripwritting from Armando Alvares Penteado Foundation (Sao Paulo, Brazil). Her short “Desires of the Flesh” was premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2019 and won the prize of best short film at Festival Biarritz Amérique Latine and Fest New Directors/New Films this same year. Both religiosity and coming-of-age are recurrent subjects in the stories she writes. She is now preparing her first feature film, "Blood of My Blood", winner of the prix BAL-LAB 2019.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The short is about queer adolescence in a Catholic church and the unwieldy nature of desire. Two teenage girls have a strong attraction to each other. This attraction is complicated by an equally strong revulsion stemming from his Christian guilt and further challenged by the normal turmoil of adolescence.

Coming of age and struggling with sexual orientation are very frequent used topics of nowadays films. This are also the themes I like the most. This film is inspired by Catholic mythology and Biblical stories, but also evoking symbolism of a modern quirkiness through the awkward beauty of youthful attraction and relentless obsession.