Evoking the urban restlessness and pulsating life of São Paulo, filmmaker Caetano's unflinching drama zooms in on those who inhabit the outskirts of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Recently released from juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (João Pedro Mariano) stands at a pivotal juncture; left behind by his parents, the wide-eyed young man discovers refuge in the arms of others.
On an evening out with his rowdy group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler over double his age. Shrouded in the wavering neon of a XXX cinema, their introductory rendezvous is intimate and charged, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo quickly introduces Wellington to the shadowy world of the sex trade and selling drugs.
The film illustrates Wellington’s new life of crime with compassionate understanding instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now adopting the moniker Baby, he approaches his transactional encounters with swaggering confidence and touching naivety. To his clients, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also instances of tenderness.
In the feverish excitement of São Paulo, overflowing with crowded backstreets and colourful shopfronts, there’s a deep-seated solitude, as adrift individuals cling on to one another for fleeting joy.
"The streets might be riddled with risk, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their relationship is derailed by envy and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by dubious individuals in the criminal underworld pale in comparison to the fear of government monitoring and jail time, symbolized by the looming presence of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the lost people who have been failed by the system. The film ultimately serves as a moving exploration into making ends meet, chosen family, and the quest for purpose within a demanding urban landscape.
Elena Hartwell is a multidisciplinary artist and educator passionate about fostering creative communities in London.