The long-awaited meeting between the Rio public and North American director Spike Lee will have to wait a little longer. RioFilme and Festival do Rio informed, in a statement released this Sunday morning (19), that the filmmaker’s visit to Brazil has been postponed. An unforeseen event during his departure from New York delayed his arrival time, making the planned schedule unfeasible.
To avoid partial cancellation of the program, the Festival and producer teams decided to officially postpone the visit and are now working together with the director’s team to define a new date.
The program with Spike Lee included special screenings at the Estação Net Botafogo and Estação Net Rio cinemas, meetings with black directors and artists in the Little Africa region and the ceremony in which the filmmaker would receive the title of honorary citizen of Rio de Janeiro.
Even with the postponement, the public was not discouraged. The premiere of “Luta de Classes” (Highest 2 Lowest), Spike Lee’s new film, took place as part of the Rio Festival’s extended program and brought together fans and onlookers in Botafogo.
Among them, the Rio musician Kalebe, who decided not to miss the session, even though he was aware of the director’s absence. “I’m in love with Spike Lee and it was great to see his identity in the film. With every close-up, every detail, I remembered his other works. He always enchants and moves me”, he said.
Kalebe says he was intrigued by the title of the work. “I was wondering at what point this ‘class struggle’ would appear. But, little by little, the title made sense with the plot. I can’t give spoilers, right?”, he joked.
Rio de Janeiro 10/19/2025 – Singer Kalebe attends the premiere of “Luta de Classes”, by Spike Lee. Photo: Anna Karina de Carvalho/Agência Brasil
Regarding the postponement of the visit, the musician says he was not disappointed, “I knew he wasn’t coming. I even thought the session would be cancelled, but as it happened even without his presence, I wanted to come anyway. I was looking forward to seeing the film.”
A Rio native born in Baixada Fluminense, Kalebe celebrated the title that will be granted to Spike Lee by the Rio de Janeiro City Council: “I think it’s wonderful that he is an honorary citizen here. He has a strong relationship with Rio and, at the same time, makes me feel part of New York because of his work. I transport myself there when I watch his films — and I support the New York Knicks because of him.”
“Class Struggle” is Spike Lee’s new feature film, starring Denzel Washington. The film is a remake of the Japanese classic “High and Low”, by Akira Kurosawa, and updates the story for contemporary New York.
In the plot, a music industry mogul sees his life turned upside down when his son is kidnapped and ends up forcing him to decide between saving his heir or maintaining the empire he built. From this dilemma, Lee builds a thriller that discusses inequality, morality and structural racism, recurring marks in his filmography.
With vibrant aesthetics, a pulsating soundtrack and dialogues that echo current themes, “Class Struggle” reaffirms the filmmaker’s critical view of the social and racial abyss in big cities.
The new date for Spike Lee’s arrival in Brazil will be announced in the coming weeks.
