FILM SCREENINGS

The Last Cangaceiros

2011. Brazil. Directed by Wolney Oliveira. For more than half a century Durvinha and Moreno hid their real identities, even from their own children, who grew up thinking their parents’ names were Jovina Maria da Conceição and José Antonio Souto. The truth was only revealed when Moreno, at age 95, decided to share the heavy weight of memory with his children and reunite with living relatives—including his first child. Despite its traditional structure, this documentary tells the very unusual story of a duo who had once belonged to a gang led by the legendary Lampião, the most famous and controversial leader of the cangaço peasant bandits of northeastern Brazil. The revelation turns Durvinha and Moreno into folk heroes, and the film captures how the disclosure of their true past affects their relationships with family, friends, and strangers. Portuguese with English subtitles. 79 min.