Director(s): Tatiana Issa, Raphael Alvarez
Writer(s): Tatiana Issa
Actor(s): N/A
Production Co.: TRIA Productions, Canal Brasil, Imovision
Country: Brazil
Year: 2009
Language and subtitle information: In Portuguese with subtitles in Portuguese, English, and French
Format: DVD
[ratings]
Summary: A documentary about the Brazilian drag cabaret troupe Dzi Croquettes. Founded in the early 1970s in Rio de Janeiro, its gender and sexual taboo breaking performances were influential as a subversive means of resistance to the military dictatorship. The troupe moved to Paris, where it attracted international attention, including from Liza Minelli. Director Issa, who grew up around Dzi Croquettes, uses interviews and archival performance footage to describe the experience of a group of performers who helped define Brazil’s gay rights movement and change the language of theater and dance.
Supplemental Materials:
This documentary is about the performance group, Dzi Croquettes, a Brazilian phenomenon during the the 1970s. Through assigning each member of the troupe a role in a “family” the director examines the group as a unit but also dissects the personality of each member and their character on stage. The energy and passion with which people reminisce about this group is contagious even through the camera lens, and it’s almost like a hidden gem of Brazilian history is discovered. Although this film is fun to watch because of the many scenes of actual performances, it is also a social commentary about Brazilian society at the time and about how people can subvert gender binaries when expressing themselves through art.
The film Dzi Croquettes is a documentary that follows a group of performance artists in Rio de Janeiro during the military dictatorship in Brazil in the 1970s. I found it really cool how the film showed this group of individuals using their art to demonstrate their sexual orientation and pride during a time when anything deemed subversive could be punished by the corrupt government. These individuals showed great courage in the face of tremendous adversity and potential consequence, and I thought the producer of this documentary did a great job truly getting that point across. Definitely a film I would recommend to anyone interested in gay rights movement, the military dictatorship and Brazil and simply a group of people who come together to make a point in a form they are passionate about in an otherwise hateful environment. really cool, really different film.
The film follows the Dzi Croquettes dance troupe, or rather, the Dzi Croquettes family. Serving as the first manifestation of the gay movement in Brazil on a large scale, the Dzi Croquette’s influences extends beyond their presence/work on stage. They helped to change individuals’ understanding of themselves and their interactions with an intolerant society (of the time). The film shows the various members and their stories – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Something that I found striking was the fact that due to the censorship during that era, the Dzi Croquettes had to convince military personnel that the show was not a threat. Overall, the film provides a glimpse into the revolutionary work of the Dzi Croquettes and an important part of Brazilian art and theater.
“Dzi Croquettes” is a documentary that tells the story of an all-male dance troupe formed in response to the Brazilian military dictatorship. The group’s formation illustrates perfectly sexuality and art used as forms of expression during times of oppression. The dancers effectively bend gender binaries as a means of protest through creating androgynous looks and on-stage characters. Most notably, the dancers dressed as women without hiding their masculine features. A fun and informative watch, the film masterfully showcases the talent, humor, and family-like dynamic of the group that left a lasting impression on Brazil and many other nations.