Monstras
That's a horror movie. Horror or terror?
Red was dripping in the hall. Everyone smiled yellowly. She, exposed, observed her own viscera. The pleasure of discovery. Discovering the inside. The inside.
In an attempt to understand why they didn't report domestic violence, 13 women met on a theatrical stage to expose what could be their innards.
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Thais de Almeida PradoDirectorDirector, screenwriter, editor
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Thais de Almeida PradoWriter
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Rô MártimsProducer
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Rô MártimsKey Cast
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Nathalia LordaKey Cast
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Fabrícia ElianeKey Cast
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Liége VicenteKey Cast
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Zilka SantosKey Cast
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Valesca BragottoKey Cast
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Viviana Bastelli ParoliKey Cast
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Débora LopesKey Cast
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Livia LazaneoKey Cast
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Cleide SouzaKey Cast
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Marcela Souza RodriguesKey Cast
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Valéria EspinharaCinematography
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Rô MártimsProposition
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Livia LazaneoArt Design
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Thais De Almeida PradoEditor
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Project Title (Original Language):Monstras
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Project Type:Documentary, Experimental, Short
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Runtime:20 minutes
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Completion Date:January 5, 2025
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Production Budget:9,000 USD
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Country of Origin:Brazil
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Country of Filming:Brazil
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Language:Portuguese
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Shooting Format:Digital 4K
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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Digital Cinema Package:Unavailable
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Santos
Brazil
June 29, 2025
World Premiere
Honorable Mention
Thais de Almeida Prado is a filmmaker, scriptwriter, multidisciplinary artist and performer. She holds an MA in Film Studies (2014) and a Graduation in Performing Arts (2004), both at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Thais' work permeates the interdisciplinary boundaries between cinema, performance, dance, theater, visual arts, music and literature, often in collaboration with other artists.
Thaís is part of the Talent’s Network of Projeto Paradiso and has participated in various programs such as TFL Next Comedy (Turin, Italy), Panorama Lab (São Paulo, Brazil), Doc.Lisboa Arché Lab (Lisbon, Portugal), Serie Lab (São Paulo, Brazil), Talents BA (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Thais received the "Special Arché Jury Award, for the best project in the writing and development stage" for "As Mulheres do Pau-Brasil," a film project exploring desire on canvas. As part of this project thematic research Thais directed the short films "Empire" and "My Part."
The film was born from an invitation and a challenge posed by actress and producer Rô Mártims, motivated by a desire to reflect on domestic violence and the reluctance of many women to report their abusers. "Why don’t we report them?" This question echoed into cases of rape as well, prompting a deeper inquiry: "Why don’t we report them?" To confront this question, 13 women come together, searching for the hidden monsters within themselves, breaking their silence, learning to defend themselves, to say no, and to ask for help.
The film's script was constructed from a workshop with the 13 women, where texts were brought to light, and desires for staging. This patchwork story reflects the vision of each of these women, who aim to counteract the position of victims by proposing monsters as self-defense.
The film's form is built upon the same foundation: creating a space within the movie itself where these women can free themselves and challenge their fears. Metafiction, used here as a reflective device, alongside title cards presenting the film as a horror piece, allows us to understand what real horror means when someone faces a life-threatening situation.
Sonically, we explore suspense, as we do visually, but through a distanced, almost Brechtian approach, where we laugh and do not laugh at these stories, playing with discomfort and emotional ambiguity to underscore the weight of these experiences.
PT
O filme nasceu de um convite e de um desafio lançado pela atriz e produtora Rô Mártims, motivado pelo desejo de refletir sobre a violência doméstica e a relutância de muitas mulheres em denunciar seus agressores. “Por que não os denunciamos?” Essa pergunta também ecoou em casos de estupro, levando a uma investigação mais profunda: “Por que não os denunciamos?” Para confrontar essa pergunta, 13 mulheres se reúnem, procurando os monstros ocultos dentro de si, quebrando o silêncio, aprendendo a se defender, a dizer não e a pedir ajuda.
O roteiro do filme foi construído a partir de um workshop com as 13 mulheres, onde os textos foram trazidos à luz e os desejos de encenação. Essa história de retalhos reflete a visão de cada uma dessas mulheres, que buscam neutralizar a posição de vítimas, propondo monstros como autodefesa.
A forma do filme é construída sobre o mesmo fundamento: criar um espaço dentro do próprio filme onde essas mulheres possam se libertar e desafiar seus medos. A metaficção, usada aqui como um dispositivo reflexivo, juntamente com os cartões de título que apresentam o filme como uma peça de terror, nos permite entender o que significa o verdadeiro terror quando alguém enfrenta uma situação de risco de vida.
Sonoramente, exploramos o suspense, assim como fazemos visualmente, mas por meio de uma abordagem distanciada, quase brechtiana, em que rimos e não rimos dessas histórias, brincando com o desconforto e a ambiguidade emocional para enfatizar o peso dessas experiências.