The Edge of Democracy

Released Jun 19, 2019

1h 53m

Documentary

History

Drama

List

97%

35 Reviews

Tomatometer

68%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

The beleaguered leaders of Brazil are followed as they deal with their ideologically divided country.

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Critics Consensus

Assembled with absorbing insight and passion by director Petra Costa, The Edge of Democracy is a disturbing and expansive overview of how a democratic nation can teeter into autocracy.

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William M

Não é um documentário! Filme patrocinado pelo Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) para mostrar a sua própria visão e suas narrativas políticas sobre os acontecimentos políticos durante sua permanência no poder executivo. Contém várias distorções históricas bem como inverdades sobre os fatos.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/09/23

Full Review

Daniela B

This film is a subjective leftish documentary about a oligarch girl whose parents decided to turn comunist left wing radicalist by so she decides for the same path sharing her moms footsteps. And maybe although many of the oriented interviews maybe real, unfortunately she hide the most controversial facts about the "scheme" of lula and proven dirty business of lula and dilma trying to get Brazil under comunism. Not 1 time she mention "foro de São Paulo". I have to say I am amazed by the creativity of the comunist to make-up the ugly. And the truth is lula and dilma do not deserve to be know as good governments

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

11/04/22

Full Review

eoin h

An excellent documentary about the rise and subsequent quashing of the lest in Brazilian politics. If you have ever wondered if there is room in our current political and economic systems for the fairer distribution of resources, this documentary gives you an answer. Yes. It is specific to Brazil but there are lessons for the whole world over. Lula Inacio Da Silva, part of the far left workers movement, rose to the highest office in Brazil. No doubt a very well intentioned man, he set about redistributing wealth and improving the living standards of the poorest in society. It is striking to see how as president the structures he must operate in and the relationships he begins to develop restrict his ability to represent his working class followers. That said the lowest in society do see increases in there standard of living as he holds true to his beliefs. He also launches a crack down on corruption. These good intentions will be his undoing as the investigations he starts are turned on him. The investigators are people embedded in the legal system who are incentivised to maintain the status quo. Along with big business, the media and right wing politicians they launch a campaign to unseat Lula and his successor Dilma Rousseff. They are investigated on campaign finance rules. Even though they are pro workers, they need finance to stay in power. Does this compromise their ideals? Probably. But what is the alternative. Ban campaign financing? Right wing politicians impeach Dilma over budgeting irregularities which seem to be a matter of accounting treatment and not misappropriation. The media launches the case against Lula and whips his right wing detractors into a frenzy. The state solicitor takes a case against Lula and then also convicts him (cause no judge is needed in Brazil) and Lula goes to jail. This all paves the way for Jair Bolsonaro. The establishment hold their noses (much like the US for Trump) and throw their support behind him and he is now president. Although there might be time for a happy ending as since the documentary, Lula has had his conviction quashed and can now run in the next election. This story is told very well in this documentary. The producers have lots of great footage including taped conversations and it is all laid bare. From personal takes highlighting the political divides in society and also families.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

rafael z

Filme de propaganda política, pautada em inverdades.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The sad true story about politics in Brazil.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

How did we get to Bolsonaro? In 2020, this is a question on the minds of many political commentators. Edge of Democracy "Democracia em Vertigem" provides a convincing answer to this relevant question. Why did Jair Bolsonaro defeat former São Paulo mayor Fernando Haddad and become president of Brazil in 2018? Bolsonaro is a strongman. He has been dubbed the "Trump of the Tropics." He is an authoritarian leader who espouses populist, homophobic, and sexist rhetoric. How is it that Brazil, the fifth largest country in the world, elected someone so reactionary and appalling? The easiest answer: Bolsonaro was an imperfect antidote to the endemic corruption that has been so prevalent in Brazil for the past decades. Not long ago, Dilma Rouseff— the first woman to be elected as president in Brazil— was impeached for corruption. Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, another Workers' Party politician, was also arrested. Still other Workers' Party politicians have been mired by one of the biggest political scandals of the 21st Century— Operation Lava Jato (Car Wash). It seems that Brazilians sought out an alternative to this corruption. This is the perfect documentary for outside observers to understand how Brazil got to this point.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/11/23

Full Review

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Petra Costa

Director

Dilma Rousseff

Actor

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Actor

Marisa Letícia Lula Da Silva

Actor

Sérgio Moro

Actor

Eduardo Cunha

Actor

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Justin Chang

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

This works very well as both a primer on the tumultuous last several years of Brazilian politics and also as a very passionate personal essay film.

Oct 1, 2019

Full Review

Leslie Felperin

Guardian

Costa manages to craft an intimate primer about the state's descent into populism and the fraying of the country's democratic fabric.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 21, 2019

Full Review

Ela Bittencourt

NPR

Engrossing...

Jun 20, 2019

Full Review

Derick Gomez

PopMatters

[T]he footage of mass progressive mobilizations serves as a timely reminder that there are countless like-minded people that are outraged and ready to push back to defend the rights they have attained over the decades.

Nov 20, 2020

Full Review

Film Companion Staff

Film Companion

Petra Costa's Oscar-winning documentary, stalking the rise and fall of two Brazilian Presidents during the country's socio-political crisis, is unflinchingly personal, and challenges our perception of "political" filmmaking.

Oct 28, 2020

Full Review

Carlos Bonfil

La Jornada

[Has] the rhythm and intensity of a political thriller. [Full review in Spanish]

Jun 29, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

The beleaguered leaders of Brazil are followed as they deal with their ideologically divided country.

Director: Petra Costa
Producer: Josh Braun, Maxyne Franklin
Screenwriter: Petra Costa, Carol Pires, David Barker, Moara Passoni
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Busca Vida Filmes, Netflix
Genre: Documentary, History, Drama
Original Language: Portuguese (Brazil)
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 19, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 19, 2019
Runtime: 1h 53m

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