There's something interesting in the ambiguity that emerges from the very title of this film. Fantasma Neon, in Portuguese, refers to a "ghost." However, since the film initially presents itself as a musical, only to then transform into a strange, yet engrossing allegory of capitalism, both the characters and the viewers inevitably find themselves swimming in waters that belong to the realm of fantasy.

Speaking of fantasies, João, a bicycle delivery boy, has many. He dreams of a motorcycle he knows perfectly well he can't afford. He dreams of an eventual and elusive strike. He dreams of getting rid of his large backpack, the ultimate modern emblem of social inequalities, as the person who carries it bears the burden of assuming their poverty and precariousness in plain sight.

In the end, far from being a tale of misery, Leonardo Martinelli offers us a celebration rich in colours, rhythms, and songs, because where there is suffering, there will always be fragments of humanity. And that is something to celebrate.

Jason Todd
Artistic Director
Tënk