Brasília, Contradictions of a New City is a documentary film directed by Brazilian filmmaker João Batista de Andrade. The film was commissioned by the Italian technology company Olivetti and produced in 1967. The film features interviews with a range of residents of the new capital city, including politicians, architects, and workers.
The film's central thesis is that Brasília, while designed as a utopian city free from the class divisions and inequalities of urban life, has in fact replicated the same social problems present in every Brazilian city, with a stark divide between wealthy and poor residents. De Andrade emphasizes the contrast between the sleek, modernist buildings of the city's government and administrative district, and the shantytowns that have sprung up on the outskirts of the city, where poor workers live in cramped and unsanitary conditions.
Through a series of interviews and on-site visits, de Andrade reveals the challenges and contradictions of life in Brasília, detailing the difficulties of building and maintaining a city in a harsh, remote environment and the social and economic struggles faced by Brasília's residents. The film ultimately challenges the optimistic vision of Brasília that was promoted by its creators and presents a picture of a city that, while impressive in many ways, remains deeply flawed and unequal.