TEA Tenerife Screens Marianna Brennand’s Debut Feature ‘Manas’

This weekend, TEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes is screening Manas, the debut feature film from Brazilian director Marianna Brennand. Running from Friday to Sunday at 7:00 p.m., the film goes beyond simple entertainment to examine the power dynamics within private life.

Supported by the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA) for its focus on gender inequality, the story is set on the island of Marajó. It follows Marcielle, a 13-year-old girl who fights to break free from the cycle of violence affecting her family and community. The film explores the difficulty of overcoming inherited trauma, contrasting the silence often expected of women with the protagonist's determination to change her future.

This project marks a shift for Brennand, who previously worked primarily in documentaries. The cast—featuring Jamilli Correa, Fátima Macedo, Rômulo Braga, Dira Paes, Emily Pantoja, and Samira Eloá—tells a story that uses visual restraint. Rather than showing explicit abuse, the film focuses on the psychological impact of these experiences.

The screenings at TEA will be in the original Portuguese with Spanish subtitles. The film’s arrival in Tenerife highlights the growing interest in Ibero-American cinema that uses fiction to analyze social issues. It serves as a powerful look at resilience and the challenge of confronting deeply rooted patriarchal traditions.