A little warning before we begin: if you clicked here looking for political bullshit or ammunition for your next family group discussion, you can close the tab in peace.
This text is far from any polarization. In fact, it’s the opposite of that. It is an optimistic vision shared with those who, regardless of political vision, support and work for Brazil’s practical progress.
Now that the dust has settled from the red carpet and the brilliant “The Secret Agent” has made history at the 98th edition of the awards ceremony organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, despite not taking home any statuettes, the question that remains is no longer whether we are any good. The central question is: why does the rise of Brazilian cinema bring opportunities that trample the borders of entertainment and invade the real economy?
Continues after advertising
Lobster, Jeans and Coca-Cola
Let’s not be naive. The United States did not become the sovereign power it is with missiles, banks and microchips alone. They used the seventh art to design the world’s reputation and behavior. A strategy so simple and, at the same time, so effective, that American cinema has been, for decades, the largest and most efficient sales catalog in history.
Lobster is a good – and curious – example. Before being synonymous with luxury, it was the “food of the poor”, served to slaves and prisoners on the American east coast. The key turning point came with railway expansion and, crucially, the glamor of Hollywood. When the first big stars and actresses of the golden age began to appear eating lobsters at glittering banquets (like Joan Crawford in 1947’s “Taken”), the crustacean’s status changed. In just a few decades, what was almost rejected became a globally coveted delicacy.
The same happened with Jeans. Levi’s was born as rough workwear for miners. But it was when Marlon Brando appeared in “The Wild One” (1953) and James Dean with his rebellious style in “Mistaken Youth” (1955) that denim stopped being a worker’s uniform to become the great symbol of global youth.
Continues after advertising
And Coca-Cola? The brand was already on its way, but it was Hollywood that transformed it into the true “American Way of Life”. From subtle appearances in 1930s classics to appearing in the hands of pop icons like Elvis Presley on the big screen, cinema didn’t just show the cold drink; he sold the dream of belonging to that enviable culture. Where American cinema arrived, the American economy followed.
The fall of the wall of legends
But the game is changing. Think with me: how many South Korean productions had you already consumed before “Round 6” and “Parasite”? And what was your level of familiarity with Spanish or German thrillers before “La Casa de Papel” or “Dark”? So it is.
Before the boom in streaming platforms, we were hostages. Our cultural diet was limited to what was shown on open TV, what the movie theaters decided to show and what arrived on the shelves of video stores – and, almost as an absolute rule, all of this spoke English.
Continues after advertising
But the last decade has imploded that barrier in a way never seen (literally) before. Now, the world watches productions of all things singing, regardless of whether it is spoken in English, Korean, Spanish, Turkish or German.
Data from Ampere Analysis and Netflix indicate that the consumption of content in non-English languages has grown by more than 50% globally in recent years. And most interestingly: titles from outside Hollywood often dominate the “Top 10” in more than 90 countries simultaneously.
What is the moral of the story so far?
The caption stopped being a nuisance and became a bridge. And if there is a nation with plenty of talent to cross it and dominate the other side, it is Brazil.
Continues after advertising
Our turn to play
We are definitely the country of fashion. And I’m not just talking about sport. Our musical rhythms prove our versatility every day – from Bossa Nova, which remains more chic and lively than ever abroad, to Funk, which made even the giant Bruno Mars surrender and imitate our steps when he set foot here.
We have the knife and cheese (canasta, please) in hand. We are already a “soap opera factory” recognized worldwide for our technical and narrative capacity. Imagine if we adapted this industrial muscle for cinema and high-impact series with the frequency that the current moment demands?
Our presence at the 2026 Oscars is not just a recognition of our playwright talent. It is a global “billboard” for our lifestyle. From guaraná soda with orange slices to the traditional chicken pastry with Catupiry (the foreigners love our curd cheese). From funk steps to football kicks on the beach sand.
Continues after advertising
More than the film industry, we can now boost our entire real economy. After all, if the whole world is already looking at our screen, the time has come to show them what we also have to sell.
