Honesta film by Aurélio Michiles, had its world premiere this Thursday (10) in the official program of the Rio Festival, and moved the audience at Cine Odeon, in the center of Rio de Janeiro. The work revisits the trajectory of student leader Honestino Guimarães, who disappeared during the military dictatorship, combining elements of documentary and fiction.
When he received the invitation to direct the film, Aurélio Michiles, who was a friend of Honestino and also participated in the student movement, reveals that the decision was difficult.
“Honestino has always been on the horizon of my achievements. I always thought about telling his story, but I didn’t have the courage, because it is also our story, that of an unfair, violent Brazil, which killed thousands of Brazilians”, said the director.
The documentary, produced by Nilson Rodrigues, adopts a hybrid language, combining interviews and archive images with fictional scenes interpreted by Bruno Gagliasso. This aesthetic option brings the character closer to the present and gives fluidity to the story, placing the viewer in front of a story that is not finished.
Producer Nilson Rodrigues (L), actor Bruno Gagliasso (C) and the director of Honestino, Aurélio Michiles – Photo: Anna Karina de Carvalho/Disclosure
“Our purpose is not to leave the character frozen in an old photograph, but to make him tangible, alive. Yesterday is today and today can be the future”, defines Michiles.
The motivation to direct the film, according to him, came unexpectedly, when he watched a video of Honestino Guimarães’ granddaughter during the reopening of the Honestino Guimarães Bridge, in Brasília.
“She said she would like to hear her grandfather’s story told by himself. Then I thought, the time has come to tell this story”, recalled Michiles.
The result is a docudrama that combines real testimonies, archive images and dramatizations to reconstruct the trajectory of the former president of the National Union of Students (UNE), from 1968, when he led the student movement, until his arrest and disappearance in 1973, at the age of 26.
Actor Bruno Gagliasso plays the main role and highlights the symbolism of the project.
“It’s a very symbolic film. They tried to silence Honestino 50 years ago, but silence didn’t win. He defended education, freedom and democracy. It’s a film about the present, not about the past”, he said.
For producer Nilson Rodrigues, the film closes a trilogy about the period of the military dictatorship, which began with The Other Side of Paradise (2014) and followed by The Shepherd and the Guerrilla (2022).
“Honestino deserved to have his story told. Within the student movement, he is a symbol, but still little known outside of this environment. We are committed to the memory of those who fought for democracy”, stated Rodrigues.
The soundtrack, composed by Flávia Tygel, reinforces the emotional charge of the narrative.
“The track needed to contain repression and danger, but also poetry and hope. Honestino is freedom. We recorded with strings, guitar and electronic programming to create this mix between past and present”, he explained.
The original song The Choir of Scoundrelsperformed by Fafá de Belém, and composed by Tigel in partnership with Michiles and Chico Chaves, ends the film with intensity and symbolism.
Honestino rescues the memory of the student leader who disappeared during the dictatorship – Photo: Luciana Melo/Disclosure
During the premiere session, the audience reacted emotionally. Rio History professor Maria Solange Melo Lins highlighted the relevance of the film for new generations.
“It’s impactful. We need to rescue these stories so that our students know what the dictatorship was like. Cinema is a wonderful tool for understanding History”, he said.
Competing in the competitive exhibition at the Rio Festival, which continues until October 12th, Honest It should hit theaters in May 2026.
“The film is about memory, courage and commitment to the truth. It’s about the Brazil that was and the Brazil that we still are”, summarizes Aurélio Michiles.
