"Verdes Anos" (The Green Years) takes place in a small provincial town in Rio Grande do Sul (the far south of Brazil) in the early 70s (namely around 1972). The military dictatorship is tightening its grip – political repression and economic growth (the political stability attracted many foreign investments). The old morals still rule the life in the town but the times are changing.
"Verdes Anos" talks about a group of teenagers on the road to adulthood that study in a school. It's completely different from the usual youth films. The characters in "Verdes Anos" have a face; they are not mannequins with plastic smiles and empty minds – they look like real people. We will follow the lives of these teenagers (their stories, joy, jokes,the search for love... pleasure, disappointments) for 3 days. There's no happy ending and easy solutions, as it happens in many conventional youth films. The film gives us also brief glimpses of the growing political repression in Brazil - some characters will suffer the consequences of their political involvement: hopelessness, flight
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"Verdes Anos" is funny, moving and sometimes a bit sad. It's a beautiful film. If you find it (yes, you can!), go for it.
