Antônia

Antônia is a 2006 Brazilian drama musical film which tells the story of Antônia, an Afro-Brazilian hip-hop girl group formed by four young women living on a favela of São Paulo. On their way to the mainstream success, they have to face with the violence near their homes and the sexism of the musical business. The film was directed by Tata Amaral and stars Negra Li, Cindy Mendes, Leilah Moreno and Quelynah as the members of the group.

It was shot in Santo André, São Paulo. The film had its European premiere January 26, 2007 at the 36th Rotterdam International Film Festival, in the section "Cinema of the World: Time & Tide". It was released commercially in the United States on September 21, 2007, in New York City, New York; Newark, New Jersey, and Los Angeles, California.

The movie, spun off from a 2006 short by Amaral, in turn spun off a television series from 02 Filmes and Rede Globo in the filmmaker's native Brazil, starring the same actors in the same roles.

Plot

On Vila Brasilândia, a favela (shanty town) of São Paulo, four Afro-Brazilian girls battle to fulfill their dream of making a living off their music. Friends since the childhood, Preta (Negra Li), Bárbarah (Leilah Moreno), Mayah (Quelynah) and Lena (Cindy Mendes, a.k.a. Maria Madalena, as Cindy) quit singing the backing vocals for a male rap group and form Antônia, their own group. Discovered by the smooth-talking manager Marcelo Diamante (Thaíde), they begin to sing rap, MPB, pop and soul in bars and in middle-class parties.