The Trial

A tale of betrayal and corruption, the film presents Rousseff’s personal story: herself imprisoned and tortured by the country’s former military dictatorship. she now faces impeachment accused of fiscal crimes. Rousseff declares herself innocent and accuses the right-wing opposition of perpetrating a Parliamentary Coup d’état. The principal architect of the impeachment is Vice-President Michel Temer, one of her former allies.

The film witnesses how the impeachment triggers a profound political crisis in Brazil. It looks at the collapse of the democratic institutions at the very heart of this crisis and at the economic and geopolitical interests involved.

After taking on the addled Brazilian Justice system in her past films JUSTICE (Grand Prix at ‘Visions du Reel’, Best Film at Taiwan Int. Doc Fest, Amnesty Award at CPH: Dox), BEHAVE (Grand Prix at One World, Fipresci Award at Dok-Leipzig) and HILL OF PLEASURES (Best Director – Brasilia Film Fest), Ramos once more holds national institutions tacitly to account.

The Trial won Best Feature Film in the International Competition at Visions du Reél, DocumentaMadrid, FIDBA and IndieLisboa where it was also awarded the Audience Award. At the Fénix Awards in Mexico, it was nominated for Best Latin American Documentary.