Movies Similar to Inside the Mind of Favela Funk

Maria: Ninguém Sabe Quem Sou Eu(2022)

The film is an unprecedented and exclusive testimonial of Maria Bethânia from director and screenwriter Carlos Jardim, interspersed with rare footage of rehearsals and concerts by the singer throughout her 57-year career. Actress Fernanda Montenegro narrates five texts by authors such as Ferreira Gullar and Caio Fernando Abreu about Bethânia's importance on the Brazilian cultural scene.

Gal Costa: Recanto – Ao Vivo(2013)

James Brown: Soul Survivor(2003)

James Brown's legacy has influenced rap, soul, funk and R&B. But along with his huge talent, there's a dark side to Brown's success that includes stints in prison and unceasing tabloid speculation. This in-depth documentary takes a look at the meteoric highs and deep lows of Brown's career, offering some fascinating insights from the Godfather of Soul himself, as well as interview footage with Chuck D, Little Richard, Wyclef Jean and many others.

Betty: They Say I’m Different(2017)

An aspiring songwriter from a small steel town, Betty Mabry Davis arrived on the scene to break boundaries for women with her daring personality, iconic fashion style and outrageous funk. She befriended Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone, wrote songs for the Chambers Brothers and The Commodores and married Miles Davis, turning him from jazz to funk and then went on to ignite stages in the 70s with her sassy sexed up mix of hard rock and bluesy funk, inspiring artists from Prince to Erykah Badu to Karen 0 and Peaches. Then she vanished…

Thunder Soul(2010)

Jamie Foxx presents the inspiring true story of high school band leader Conrad O. Johnson, who transformed his ragtag jazz band students into a legendary funk powerhouse that took the nation by storm.

Finding the Funk(2014)

Finding the Funk is a road trip in search of the past, present and future of Funk music. Starting with Funk's roots in Jazz and the James Brown bands of the '60s we travel to the Bay Area to celebrate Sly & the Family Stone, then to Dayton the birthplace of so many of Funk's originators, then onto Detroit where from the ashes of Motown, P-Funk's Mothership arose, and then to LA where a new crop of musicians are creating their own Funk history. On our journey into Funk, we talk to legends Sly Stone, Bootsy Collins, George Clinton, Nona Hendryx, Maceo Parker, Bernie Worrell, and Steve Arrington and their descendants Mike D, D'Angelo, Sheila E, Shock G and Sade's Stuart Matthewman. Narrated by Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson of the Roots.

Raul: O Início, o Fim e o Meio(2012)

As the world boiled in the rush of Easy Rider bikes, in the frenetic pace of Elvis Presley, in Beatniks poets, in the explosion of counterculture, a boy from Bahia gave birth to Rock in Brazil. A runaway flying saucer that abducted the hearts and minds of thousands of fans, Raul Seixas, a man who became a myth. Raul died young because he lived intensely. Rock n 'roll, free love, alternative society, drugs, black magic, military dictatorship, women and daughters. A man who wanted to live from his work and died for it. The beginning, the end and the middle are confused, because the story is not over. The film reveals through rare images of archive, meeting with relatives, conversations with artists, producers and friends, the trajectory of the legend of Rock.

Danado de Bom(2016)

Born in Arcoverde, in the backlands of Pernambuco, the lonely boy who was raised by his father after his mother left, João Silva soon discovered a passion for the northeastern rhythms, such as the baião, xote and forró. He went to Rio de Janeiro when he was still a little boy to meet the idol Luiz Gonzaga. Both men, who were not very fond of each other when they first met, became not only great friends but also partners in many hits like “Doutor do Baião”, “Nem se Despediu de Mim” and “Pagode Russo”.

Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool(1994)

A musical documentary accompaniment to the 1994 benefit compilation album concerning AIDS in the African-American community.

Dorival Caymmi - Um Homem de Afetos(2024)

An irresistible journey through the universe of the singer and composer that revolutionized the song in Brazil and influenced generations of musicians, paving the way for movements such as Bossa Nova and Tropicália.

Badi(2019)

The personal trajectory and the international career of the singer, guitarist, and composer Badi Assad.

Saravah(1969)

Documentary about Brazilian music circa 1969, with extremely rare scenes, such as the only color footage of Pixinguinha, images of João da Baiana, one of the fathers of Samba, Maria Bethânia rehearsing at Barroco nightclub, Baden Powell playing his acoustic guitar, Paulinho da Viola showing his masterpiece "Coisas do Mundo, Minha Nega", that he had just finished, and Márcia, a singer from São Paulo.

Madonna: The Celebration Tour in Rio(2024)

Madonna celebrates her four-decade career in a special concert for over 1.6 million people at the Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.

Looking for Black Orpheus(2005)

Documentary about Marcel Camus' 1959 film Black Orpheus, its cultural and musical roots, and its resonance in Brazil today.

Nothing Like Before – The Music of Clube da Esquina(2024)

Nothing Like Before delves into the creation of the Clube da Esquina Album (Brazil, 1972). Considered by many music critics one of the best albums of all time, it presented to the world musicians like Milton Nascimento, Lô Borges, Toninho Horta, Beto Guedes and Wagner Tiso.

Filhos de João, O Admirável Mundo Novo Baiano(2011)

A panorama of Brazilian popular music from the 60s and 70s through the musical group Novos Baianos. A retrospective of the community lifestyle adopted by its members and the influence inherited from singer João Gilberto.

Parliament Funkadelic: One Nation Under a Groove(2005)

One Nation Under A Groove - P-Funk Documentary 2005 Known to its legions of fans simply as P-Funk, Parliament Funkadelic has had a profound impact on the development of contemporary music, aesthetics and culture. PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC: One Nation Under a Groove chronicles the unique alchemy of the musical influences that fed into the band`s singular approach to music, documenting P-Funk`s continuing influence on today`s artists and musicians and featuring an in-depth look at the musical and entrepreneurial mastermind of its leader George Clinton.

Mamonas Forever(2009)

In less than ten months, the music band Mamonas Assassinas went from being completely unknown to becoming one of the biggest phenomena in Brazilian music. Irreverent, intelligent, sarcastic and creative, the band took over Brazil and sold two million albums in just six months. Never-before-seen footage and interviews from family, friends, producers, and musicians tell the band’s story, their challenges, their rise to fame, and the tragic aeroplane accident that killed all its members in 1996.

The Other Side of the Postcard(2016)

The Favela Pacification Program was launched in 2008 to reduce crime and drug trafficking in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In April 2015 however, police shot and killed 10-year old Eduardo in Complexo do Alemão, causing uproar in that community. Alemão and other pacified communities began to realise that the program had become the very thing it was designed to destroy. Taking place in the build to the 2016 Olympic Games, this is the side of Rio that you have never seen before.

Tear the Roof Off: The Untold Story of Parliament Funkadelic(2016)

The untold true story: The rise and fall of the greatest funk band ever, Parliament Funkadelic.