The First Fallen

New Year’s Eve, 1983: Three friends – two gay men and a trans woman – celebrate their chosen family in a small Brazilian town. Suzano has returned from his studies in Paris to spend time with his sister and nephew. Rose, a trans performer, prepares for her latest show at the local drag club, and Humberto, recently arrived, documents it all on his shaky camcorder. The future looks bright for them all. But soon the trio will be swept up in the black net of AIDS as it spreads throughout their community, testing their newfound allegiance and strengthening it at the same time. Unflinching but also joyful and poetic, Rodrigo de Oliveria’s film, enlivened by powerful performances, reminds us of the countless people whose stories have been lost to history.