| SYNOPSIS |
"Choices" is an interactive film that follows Carlos, a young man born in a favela in São Paulo, through decisive moments in his life. The audience chooses from options that influence Carlos's trajectory, addressing themes such as drug trafficking, resiliense, and morality. The central message is that life is shaped by choices, but how far can we choose?
| PROJECT DESCRIPTION |
"Choices" is an interactive film where the audience has the opportunity to influence the course of the story of the protagonist Carlos, a young man born in a favela in São Paulo.
The film explores the difficult choices Carlos faces at different points in his life, addressing issues such as drug trafficking, personal growth, and the consequences of the decisions we make.
The character narrates his own life story and leaves the main decisions of his life in the hands of the viewers.
With a reflective approach, the project seeks to engage viewers, especially young audiences, in a discussion about morality, ethics, and overcoming challenges. How far can you go in choosing?
| CREATIVE SCRIPT |
Carlos, our character, narrates his story from his birth in a favela in São Paulo. With a straightforward narrative, he recounts his childhood amidst the poverty and drug trafficking common in his neighborhood, until at age 13, his father is killed by a stray bullet, his family goes through a difficult time, and he faces the first major decision of his life:
INITIAL CHOICE OF AUDIENCE 1:
Option "a": Give in to the pressure from the drug traffickers and join them in crime.
Option "b": Continue your mediocre life working and studying to try to help your mother and younger brother, with the dream of one day leaving the favela.
Carlos chose to enter the world of crime: His temporal narrative continues, now working for organized crime in the favela. At the cost of much blood and pain, he becomes the head of drug trafficking in his neighborhood, respected and feared by everyone there. Until, at the height of his power and maturity, he discovers the betrayal of his younger brother and faces another important decision in his life: to forgive or execute his brother. At this moment, it is not up to the audience to choose, but rather to the character, who, in the narrative, intervenes and asks for permission, as it is a family matter and he must make this choice alone. Under pressure from other drug traffickers and driven by anger, he chooses to execute his brother. With his brother's death, Carlos remains in power in the favela, but his psychological state begins to weigh on him, and he starts having visions of his brother and falls into depression, especially after the death of his mother, who dies blaming him for the loss of her son. With the police closing in and with serious psychological problems, Carlos finds himself in another predicament in life.
| CREATIVE SCRIPT |
FINAL CHOICE OF THE PUBLIC 1:
Option “a”: commit suicide
Option "b": turn yourself in to the police and be arrested.
Here, the audience chooses the ending, but not really. The only thing we can't change is death. When our day comes, the choice is no longer ours. When the audience chooses any of the options, the narrator himself intervenes once more in the story and explains that this choice no longer belongs to anyone, neither the audience nor himself.
FINAL 1: Carlo recovers that day and returns to his life of crime, until one day he witnesses the execution of a minor from the favela, which reminds him of his brother. In the midst of a psychotic episode, Carlos wanders aimlessly through the streets delirious and is run over by a bus at a city intersection.
The narrator watches the scene from the outside...
(Narrator's voice): The choices in our lives exist to give direction to our story, to help us learn from our mistakes and successes. Whatever path your story has taken, when your time comes to leave, it will no longer be up to you to choose.
| CREATIVE SCRIPT |
INITIAL CHOICE OF THE AUDIENCE 2:
b-chose to study/work: Carlos doesn't give up on helping his mother, resists the pressures of drug trafficking, and narrates his hard life of work and study. He joins a social project in the favela that helps him study and graduate... and so he continues narrating his life until he is 30 years old. At that age, Carlos is already married to his childhood sweetheart, his mother is deceased, and his brother is dead because of drug trafficking. Today he can consider himself a winner, working in a large company, holding a leadership position, and having a stable life, until he is involved in a scheme within the company and needs to make an important decision: turn the scheme over to the police or accept a bribe and get involved in the scheme.
At this point, it's not up to the audience to choose, but rather to the character, who, in the narrative, intervenes and asks permission to make that choice alone. Carlos joins the scheme and begins to flaunt his expensive car, jewelry, and ostentatious lifestyle. The money goes to his head, he loses his wife, becomes addicted to alcohol and drugs, until, during one of his orgies, he discovers that he is the main scapegoat for this scam, where the big players make a fortune and he's the one who ends up paying the price with the police. The masterminds of the plan themselves denounce Carlos to the police. Carlos tries to escape, and during a police chase, he suffers a serious accident, and it is here that we choose the ending of the story.
FINAL CHOICE OF THE PUBLIC 2:
Option “a”: Carlos dies in the accident
Option “b”: Carlos lives and has a new chance.
Here, the audience chooses the ending, but not really. The only thing we can't change is death. When our day comes, the choice is no longer ours. When the audience chooses any of the options, the narrator himself intervenes once more in the story and explains that this choice no longer belongs to anyone, neither the audience nor himself.
FINAL 2: Carlos's car overturns on a busy street in São Paulo. Carlos manages to get out of the car before the police arrive, walks a few blocks, and, still somewhat dazed and confused, ends up being hit by a bus at an intersection.
The narrator watches the scene from the outside...
Off-screen narrator: The choices in our lives exist to give direction to our story, to help us learn from our mistakes and successes. Whatever path your story took, the lessons you learned from the choices you made in life, when your time comes to leave, you will no longer be able to choose.
Yes, in both endings he dies in the same way, at the same intersection, on the same day and at the same time.
| REFERENCES |
REFERENCE INTERACTIVE FILM:
BLACK MIRROR - BANDERSNATCH (Netflix)
NARRATIVE REFERENCE:
THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF HENRY SUGAR - WES ANDERSON (Netflix)
CIDADE DE DEUS
| RELEVANCE |
Why is this project relevant today?
1. It reflects the real Brazil: youth, choices, and inequality.
The Escolhas project delves into the experiences of young people from marginalized communities facing ethical and moral dilemmas that arise in vulnerable contexts.
In a country where millions face social exclusion, school dropout, and urban violence, the work gives voice to characters who represent invisible realities—creating empathy, awareness, and dialogue.
In times of polarization and a crisis of values, Choices invites the public to think:
"What would you do in his place?" (empathy).
2. Narrative innovation: interactivity with purpose.
The interactive choice format, popularized globally by platforms like Netflix (Bandersnatch) and narrative games, takes on a transformative use here:
Instead of simply entertaining, Choices challenges the audience to make decisions with real ethical implications.
It's a project that innovates in language, but with depth — connecting form and content in a coherent way.
It encourages critical thinking, individual responsibility, and analysis of consequences.
3. A powerful tool for education and social impact.
In addition to being an artistic medium-length film, Choices can be used as an interactive educational resource in schools, NGOs, social projects, and formative environments.
It encourages discussions about youth, ethics, justice, and inequality.
It allows young people to see themselves represented and understand that their choices have value and consequences.
It has the potential to be adopted by public policies and programs for the prevention of violence and school dropout.
4. Aligns with ESG, diversity, and social responsibility guidelines.
Brands, funds, and organizations are increasingly seeking projects with a positive and authentic social impact.
Choices is content that:
It promotes racial and class diversity, with a focus on Black people and those from marginalized communities.
It encourages inclusion and ethical reflection.
It offers companies the chance to position themselves as allies of social transformation through a creative, engaging, and socially responsible project.
5. High demand for national content with identity and purpose.
The audiovisual market is experiencing a moment of increased value placed on national content, especially with:
Streaming platforms seeking local narratives with social relevance.
Public notices and incentive laws prioritizing projects with impact, representativeness, and innovation.
A young audience increasingly interested in stories with purpose and active participation.
CONCLUSION:
Choices is relevant because it's more than just a film—it's a mirror of society, a proposal for dialogue, an interactive experience, and a tool for impact.
In a Brazil where the future is determined by unequal contexts, this project asks:
"To what extent are our choices truly free?"
And it invites the public to be part of the answer.
5. High demand for national content with identity and purpose.
The audiovisual market is experiencing a moment of increased value placed on national content, especially with:
Streaming platforms seeking local narratives with social relevance.
Public notices and incentive laws prioritizing projects with impact, representativeness, and innovation.
A young audience increasingly interested in stories with purpose and active participation.
CONCLUSION:
Choices is relevant because it's more than just a film—it's a mirror of society, a proposal for dialogue, an interactive experience, and a tool for impact.
In a Brazil where the future is determined by unequal contexts, this project asks:
"To what extent are our choices truly free?"
And it invites the public to be part of the answer.
AI PROMO
Contact: gabonun es@gmail.com | 55 (15) 9991619559