The Head of Gumercindo Saraiva

A fiction based on true events, which happened at the end of the Federalist Revolution in 1895, in the south of Brazil. When Gumercindo Saraiva was killed in an ambush and buried at graveyard at some roadside, the legalists discovered it, unburied the body, and cut its head off so it would be taken to the Governor as a war trophy. Major Ramiro de Oliveira and two men were chosen for the unusual task. The film tells the saga of the Capitan Franciso Saraiva, son of Gumercindo, and his team of five riders in the attempt to recover his father's head. The moments of approximation and distancing between the pursued and the pursuers, the confrontation and the conflicts, the duels that happened on both sides until the final encounter, when there are only Ramiro and Francisco left standing; all these events are thoroughly narrated in the film. The lessons learned in the journey blossom at end and both men, due to everything they went through, decide for an honorable outcome for them both.

Directed by Tabajara Ruas, The Head of Gumercindo Saraiva leans on a strong ensemble — Murilo Rosa, Leonardo Machado, Marcos Pitombo — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2018.