In the favelas of Rio de Janeiro of the 1930s, João Francisco dos Santos is several things — son of slaves, ex-convict, thug, homosexual and adopted father for a number of pariahs. João expresses himself on the stage of a cabaret as Madame Satã.
Acting
Lázaro Ramos simmers with dangerous, wounded magnetism.
Cinematography
Golden-hour favelas that look stolen from fever dreams.
Direction
Aïnouz refuses to sanitize his messy, magnificent subject.
Director
Karim Aïnouz
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real João Francisco dos Santos was a legendary figure in Rio's Lapa district, though records of his actual life remain scarce—Aïnouz deliberately embraced the myth.
The film's title references both the biblical Satan and the 1932 Brazilian eugenicist tract 'Madame Satã' used to demonize queer culture. João weaponized the slur.
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