Arquivo

Dona Estamira is a 63-year-old lady who has worked for more than 20 years in a garbage dump yard in Rio de Janeiro. She suffers from seizures, but her charisma and motherly personality make her a leader among the destitute elderly who usually gather at the dump yard. This documentary follows the psychiatric treatment undergone by Elmira at a public mental institution in Rio since 2000. The film focuses on her everyday life, the emotional transformation she experienced, and the effect of the drugs she had to take on her. Her children’s testimonials also contribute to form a picture of the arduous path trodden by Estamira on her way to recovery. Despite living in a filthy dump, she has managed to overcome her miserable situation. She also went right in front of the cameras and probed into a few social issues and values long forgotten by the Brazilian society.