Letters for Peace
About the Film
“Stop killing us,” pleads Luiz Fernando, 14, in his letter addressed to Brazil’s Supreme Court. In this film-letter, he and four other children living in favelas demand the right to play and study, revealing their dreams and fears amid police operations in Rio de Janeiro. From the perspective of childhood, Letters For Peace discusses the state's public security policies.
Directors: Mariana Reade, Patrick Zeiger, Thays Acaiabe
Producer: Mariana Genescá
Brazil // 2025 // Documentary // Los Shorts
26 minutes
About the Filmmaker
Letters for Peace is co-directed by Mariana Reade, Thays Acaiabe, and Patrick Zeiger. Mariana Reade has created and directed socially impactful documentaries such as Ponto Forte (2009) and Farto de Solidão (2007). Patrick Zeiger is the director and editor of Acabou a Copa (2015), which won the award for best editing at the 12MFF Festival, and Universidade Tabuleiro (2019), selected for the Freeman Film Festival. Thays Acaiabe makes her debut as a director and screenwriter with the short film Cartas pela Paz.
