Brazilian short film “Guél Boy” screens free in Recife and Olinda
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Filmmaker Ayla Òbì’s short film “Guél Boy” will show four times for free from September 17 to 20 in Recife and Olinda, Brazil.
The screenings began on September 16 at the Centro Cultural Periférico Aurora Candidé in Olinda and continued in the Coque neighborhood, on Ilha de Deus, and in Recife Antigo. Each screening includes discussions with the film’s crew and offers interpretation in Brazilian Sign Language.
The film follows Uilson, Marlon, Duda, and Ninha, four young Black Recife residents played by Gabriel Oliveira, Haryson Ribeiro, Rayssa Canuto, and Kamile Nascimento. Through their friendships, “Guél Boy” explores the impact of structural racism and how Black youth create spaces for affection, expression, and belonging. The film portrays daily life in the city, highlighting cultural expressions like bregafunk dance, graffiti, poetry, and music.
Social media and online games also feature as part of the characters’ experiences, offering a contemporary look at Black youth. The production used cell phones and drones to capture the colors and landscapes of Recife during the summer, and it blends realism with fantastical elements. Òbì intends the film to challenge how media and police programs can criminalize Black youth, offering instead a vision of friendship, creativity, and community.
Many of the film’s scenes were shot on location, and the filmmakers chose screening locations to connect with the communities represented in the story. The project received financial support from the Secretariat of Culture of Pernambuco and the Brazilian federal government.
