PRISON BEAUTY CONTEST
DIRECTOR
Srdjan Sarenac
TYPE
Documentary
RUNNING TIME
80 minutes
LANGUAGES
Portuguese with English Subtitles
COUNTRY
Brazil/Bosnia
RELEASE DATE
2024
Pirajuí is a small city of 25,000 people with three prisons, each holding 1,500 inmates. Most of the women in Pirajuí’s prison are there for drug-related crimes – some for money, others for love, helping their boyfriends or husbands.Graziella Fernanda Costa (45), the prison director, decides to restore the inmates’ self-esteem by organizing a beauty contest. For four weeks, women behind bars get a chance to transform from poor Cinderella to proud princess, breaking the monotony of prison life.
The beauty contest becomes a quiet rebellion against the prison uniform — offering pride, purpose, and hope. The story follows three contestants: Joyce (Miss Spring), Angel (Mister, transgender category), and Sueli (Miss Plus Size).
Virtual Q&A with the director
Festivals
Mediterranean Film Festival 2024 (Winner, Grand Prix and Audience Award)
Beldocs International Documentary Film Festival 2024 (Official Selection)
preceded by
LA MANCHA NEGRA
Directed by Yareni Velázquez MendozaAnimation, 5 mins, Mexico, 2024
Recounts the transformation of Marlene, a woman who once embraced darkness as a true expression of herself and soul. However, the adversities she faced in life have allowed her to grant new meaning to that darkness.
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