The former teacher Dora writes letters for the illiterates at the train station named Central do Brasil, located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She charges a small amount from all, but sometimes she doesn’t sends the messages —some never leave her drawer. In the middle of these letters, full of hopes and projects, is Ana’s, who plans to meet again the father of her son Josué. The unexpected death of this mother seals the encounter of Dora and the boy Josué, who will have their destinies intertwined in a trip across a simple and hard Brazil, where the prize is the rediscovery of Dora’s own humanity.
Winner of the Golden Bear at Berlin International Film Festival.
Fernanda Montenegro, Marília Pêra, Vinícius de Oliveira, Sôia Lira, Othon Bastos, Otávio Augusto, Matheus Nachtergaele
- Directed by: Walter Salles
- Written by: João Emanuel Carneiro, Marcos Bernstein
- Cinematography: Walter Carvalho
- Editing: Isabelle Rathery, Felipe Lacerda
- Music: Antonio Pinto, Jacques Morelenbaum
- Production: Elisa Tolomelli, Martine de Clermont-Tonnerre, Arthur Cohn, Donald Ranvaud
- Production Companies: VideoFilmes, RioFilme, Mact Productions, Arthur Cohn
- Berlin Film Festival 1998 - Golden Bear for Best Film, Silver Bear for Best Actress (Fernanda Montenegro), Ecumenical Jury Award
- Havana Film Festival 1998 - Best Film and Best Actress (Fernanda Montenegro)
- Sundance Film Festival 1998 - Best Screenplay
- San Sebastian International Film Festival - Audience Award
- Nominated for the 1999 Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actress (Fernanda Montenegro)
- Winner of the 1999 Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film
- Nominated for César 1999 for Best Foreign Film
- Guarani Award 1999: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Soundtrack
- New York Film Critics Circle Awards 1999 - Best Actress for Fernanda Montenegro
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award 1999 - Best Actress for Fernanda Montenegro
- BAFTA 1999 - Best Foreign Film
