The rental of the Favela Museum for the recording of the film Dark Horse (The Underdog, in free translation), about former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), aroused the indignation of the staff of the cultural establishment.
The museum is linked to the Tarcísio de Freitas (Republican) government, which also rented the Memorial da América Latina for the film.
The Favela Museum is the place where the knife attack scene suffered by the candidate at the time was filmed. The report obtained a frame from the video showing American actor Jim Caviezel being carried by a crowd, in front of the historic museum building in central São Paulo.
The space was rented on December 3 and 4, between 6 a.m. and 12 p.m., for the payment of R$57,000, according to the current price list. Film crews used the entrance stairs, lobby, lobby, meeting room and outdoor areas.
THE Metropolises found that the rent has sparked revolt among some of the employees who work there, who consider that Bolsonaro is not suited to a space focused on peripheral culture, which has suffered from several policies of his government, notably the management of the pandemic. The space rented for the film is the same one that this year presented an exhibition on the rap group Racionais MC’s, the main national hip hop group, whose members criticize the former president.
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Jim Caviezel cast as Jair Bolsonaro
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Dark Horse movie premiere will take place in 2026
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Jim Caviezel cast as Jair Bolsonaro
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Jim Caviezel introduced as former President Jair Bolsonaro
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Jair Bolsonaro and Jim Caviezel
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Film about Bolsonaro
- The screenplay for the film Dark Horse was written by federal deputy Mário Frias (PL-SP), former special secretary for Culture in the Bolsonaro government.
- Scheduled to premiere in 2026, the film aims to reach an international audience by reconstructing the political trajectory of the former president.
- Currently, Jair Bolsonaro is sentenced by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) to 27 years and 3 months in prison for attempted coup d’état and has been in preventive detention since November 22.
In the mentioned case, the Museu das Favelas authorized the recording on December 3 and 4, 2025, from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., against payment of R$57,000, according to the public table of the current contract. The areas used were the entrance stairs, foyer, multipurpose room, meeting room #8 and outdoor spaces.
The São Paulo State Secretariat of Culture, Economy and Creative Industry said the authorization did not involve the use of exhibitions, collections, works of art or institutional brands. According to the ministry, “the temporary allocation of spaces in State cultural facilities is regular and provided for in the management contracts signed with the organizations responsible for the administration of these places”. The practice follows objective criteria, “with democratic, impersonal and transparent access, respecting the standards of preservation of cultural heritage and the rules which prohibit the promotional use of institutional brands”, specifies the government.
Memorial
The film, directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh, also had scenes recorded at the Memorial da América Latina, in the West Zone, from November 19 to 22 this year.
For the right to use the space images, the production company Go Up Entertainment paid R$125,921.36, paid to the government of the state of São Paulo. According to the authorization form published in the Official Gazette, the rent covered the period from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on each scheduled day.
The location included the Auditorium of the Latin American Library, Praça da Sombra (area in front of the Pavilion of Creativity), the Foyer of the Simón Bolívar Auditorium and the Congress Annex (lower floor).
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