From Beginning to End [Do Começo ao Fim]

Dir: Aluizio Abranches, Brazil, 2009, Digibeta, 99 mins, Portuguese with English subtitles

Hugely controversial since its first release in Brazil, this incestuous love story between two half-brothers is one of the most romantic films in the festival.

Francesco and Thomás (same mother, different fathers) are raised in upper class comfort in Rio. They are best of friends, protective and loving of each other. Their parents show some concerns about the brothers’ unusual closeness, but nothing is really spoken about in this tranquil household. As they reach adulthood, however, their childhood intimacy grows into something more passionate. Francisco and Thomás are now strikingly handsome, bronzed young men involved in an intense, torrid sexual relationship. But when Thomás is offered a chance to train for the Brazilian swim team in Russia for a long period of time, the proposed separation brings fears that their love is threatened.

Spectacularly shot amidst the sun-drenched mountains, beaches and grand estates of Brazil, this evocative tale of an illicit affair is replete with gorgeous cinematography, beautiful Brazilian men, hot sex scenes – and a challenging social taboo at its core.

See films in the same categories as From Beginning to End [Do Começo ao Fim]: