The sudden, unexpected death of his mother puts 15-year-old Socrates in a precarious position. A child of the slums of São Paulo, he now has to survive on his own. At first he hides his mother's death, telling her employers that she's just sick, so he can take over her cleaning job. But when this ruse fails, his struggle for survival turns more desperate, as fraught as his search for love in the arms of a troubled older boy. Socrates is the astonishingly assured first feature from young Brazilian American director Alex Moratto, whose cinematic fluency renders his miniscule budget irrelevant. The crew of the film, ages 16 to 20, all came from underprivileged backgrounds. The charismatic lead actor, Christian Malheiros, earned a Spirit Award nomination for Best Actor, one of three nominations this rough gem of a movie received.

In competition for the CV Cine Award.

Director Alexandre Moratto Iben