The 2D animated short film, set in 1850, follows a prospector driven insane by isolation and greed.
Animatriz Studio, a 2D animation studio based in Goiânia, has announced its new short film, Ballad for Raposo Tenório.
The film, set in 1850, follows Raposo Tenório, a prospector driven insane by isolation and greed. After surviving a massacre by pretending to be dead, Raposo remains in the abandoned settlement, haunted by visions and obsessed with finding the gold stolen by his late friend Serapião Tavares “Quixirixá.” In his feverish mind, delirium blends with reality, and the ghost of a Xerente woman, Guaiá, seems to guide him to a legendary golden lagoon.
Tocantins-born actor Nival Correia lends his voice to the troubled Raposo. Speaking on his process of finding his voice, Correia explained, “I remembered characters I knew, like Skeletor (He-Man) and others with that shrill voice who could barely express themselves.”
Check out the trailer now:
Visually, Ballad for Raposo Tenório draws from the dark iconography of There Will Be Blood and Shakespearean tragedies like Hamlet, translating a somber and hypnotic tone. The remote aesthetic of the production, created entirely during the pandemic, reinforces the character's sense of isolation and despair.
Ballad for Raposo Tenório was selected for the First-Time Filmmaker Sessions (United Kingdom) and the Moonlight Short Film Fest (Italy), where it received an honorable mention.
Production is by Animatriz Studio. Samuel Peregrino serves as director and writer alongside Rildo Farias as art director; Fabrício Rodrigues as animator; Rafael Ferreira and Paulo de Siqueira Garcia Jr. as assistant animators; and Paulo Garcia and Pablo Rocha as drawing assistants.
Source: Animatriz Studio
Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—L'Wren brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.
