Not Dead
Morto Não
Alex Reis · Brazil · 2025 · 15 min
SHORTS COMPETITION
The birth of a young black couple's first child brings profound joy, but also unbearable pain. The father experiences and expresses his dilemmas regarding the arrival, coexistence and departure of his beloved firstborn. Inspired by W. E. B. Du Bois’ seminal text “Of the Passing of the First-Born,” the film transforms a deeply personal experience of grief into a poetic audiovisual journey. Through memory, absence, and fragmented perception, the father reflects on love, fatherhood, and mourning, revealing how tenderness and trauma coexist within the same breath. Blending live action and animation, Not Dead reimagines Du Bois’ words for the present, echoing the enduring weight of Black parenthood, vulnerability, and resilience across generations.
Hybrid · Drama · 12+
Language: Portuguese
Themes: Race, identity, children
Screenplay: W. E. B. Du Bois, Alex Reis
Producers: Alex Reis
Executive Producer: Alex Reis
Cinematographer: Wilson Velasco
Key cast: Sidney Santiago Kuanza, Vaneza Francisca, Acauã Kiese
Director's Statement
I seek to expand the dialogue on black fatherhood, mourning and resistance, bringing to light an excerpt from a work that is rarely seen by the general public. Not Dead is an invitation to reflect on the life, death and sensitivity of black men, which is often neglected. — Alex Reis
