Logline

When teenager Miguel is taken from Salvador to São Paulo by a sex trafficking gang, their brother Antônio sets out to find them.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

The Film

In Salvador, Antônio, 23, and Miguel, 15, are very close siblings who live with their mother, Gleide. Because they don't behave heteronormally, Miguel causes discomfort in their family. Their vulnerable situation makes them easy prey for a couple who traffics adolescents for sexual exploitation. When they take Miguel to São Paulo, Antônio sets out to find them. Without leads and relying only on his faith in Ogum, he reaches out to the LGBTQIA+ community in São Paulo in the hope of discovering Miguel's whereabouts. This is the plot of "Tenderness", a dramatic feature film shot in São Paulo and Salvador in September 2024. Directed and written by Eduardo Mattos, the film is now in post-production, with a scheduled release date of January 2026.

 

Taking fraternal affection as its starting point, "Delicadeza" offers an original perspective on the vulnerability of LGBTQIA+ adolescents, especially those exposed to socioeconomic issues, family abandonment, and gender discrimination. These factors make them clear targets of human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

 

Its main settings and locations include the coconut grove at Jardim de Alá Beach and a penthouse in Costa Azul, Bahia, where the production was supported by Esporte Clube Bahia and its LGBTQIAP+ supporters group. In São Paulo, the film features Roosevelt Square, Rua Augusta, Club Jerome, and the famous Karaoke Arte e Pizza.

 

"Tenderness" marks the feature directorial debut of Eduardo Mattos, award-winning director of short films such as "Shoelace" (2017), "Gipsy" (2008), "Pepper" (2010), and "Hoodie" (2012).

​

"This film is my opportunity to connect Salvador, the city where I was born, with São Paulo, the city I chose to live in," explains the director. "I'm very happy with this achievement," continues the filmmaker, who brought together several of the professionals who participated in his short films for this endeavor. "I'm also happy that we're making a melodrama, which is a genre I really enjoy and value," he emphasizes.

​

Project developed with FSA funding through the PRODAV 05/2014 grant, the PROAC 2017 São Paulo Film Promotion Grant, and the SPCINE/FSA 2019 Feature Film Production Complementary Grant.

​

 

Synopsis

In Salvador, Antônio and Miguel are close young siblings who live with their mother, Gleide. When a teenage trafficking ring takes Miguel to São Paulo, Antônio sets out to find them.

 

Credits

Script and Direction: Eduardo Mattos

Production Company: Cigano Filmes

Production: Denise Ferreira, Eduardo Mattos, Taís Nardi, and Leandro Tadashi

Executive Production: Denise Ferreira, Talita David, and Taís Nardi

Director of Photography: Taís Nardi, ABC

Art Director: Fernando Timba

Production Director: Renan Lima

Associate Producer: Leandro Tadashi

Cast: Vinícius Nascimento (Antônio), Leonardo Freire Miguel (Miguel), Nila (Michele), Naruna Costa (Gleide), Gilda Nomacce (Juliette), Luciana Souza (Ester), Paulo Phillipe (Eliseu), Marina Sutton (Dulce), Atlas Xavier (Vander), Yantó (Cosette Miserable), Jhonnã Bao (Joana), Amaurih Oliveira (Lucas), Lilian Blanc (Brigitte), and Jorge Julião (Oscar).