The Brazilian drama On Behalf of My Son, by Minas Gerais-born director Gabriel Martins, will premiere at the 74th San Sebastián International Film Festival.
The film is competing in the Official Selection (Sección Oficial) for the Golden Shell, the festival’s top prize.
Starring in the film are Rejane Faria (Vicentina); Maíra Azevedo (Joana); Renato Novaes (Wesley/Bruno); Giovanni Venturini (Fred); Giovanna Heliodoro (Gisele); Grace Passô (Isabel); Marisa Revert (Vera); Fernanda Vianna (Marta); Clébia Sousa (Solange); Fábio Leal (Victor); Docy Moreira (Marluce); Carlos Francisco (Antônio); Thalma de Freitas (Cleide); Flavio Bauraqui (Luiz); Bárbara Colen (Amélia); and Miguelzinho do Cavaco (Himself).
On Behalf of My Son tells the story of a mother who decides to seek out the families of the victims of a tragedy involving her son. In the film, Vicentina (Rejane Faria) must deal with the aftermath of her son Wesley’s death in a bus accident in which he was the driver. As the investigation unfolds, evidence suggests that Wesley’s action may have been intentional. Vicentina then embarks on a courageous journey to find the victims’ families and apologize, while being forced to confront her own grief and deepest uncertainties.
Here is the synopsis: On a sunny morning in the city of Belo Horizonte, a crowded public bus makes its way downtown. As it crosses an overpass, the vehicle suddenly swerves, veers off the road, and crashes onto the avenue below. One passenger is left critically injured, while everyone else — including Wesley, the driver — is killed. The tragedy dominates television broadcasts and newspaper headlines across the country. Security cameras from both the bus and the roadway capture the moment of the crash, and after the footage is analyzed, speculation begins to spread that the driver may have acted intentionally. Vicentina, a 75-year-old retired schoolteacher and Wesley’s mother, is devastated by the tragedy and uncertain of how to move forward. She decides to seek out the victims’ families and apologize. The road ahead proves difficult to navigate, and the answers Vicentina longs for are not always the ones she finds.
“I feel very honored to be part of such a prestigious and long-standing festival for the first time, especially as part of the official competition. I feel this will be another important step in the film’s journey, elevating the work not only of our cast and crew, but also of Brazilian cinema,” says Gabriel Martins, the film’s director.
“I also celebrate this selection as another achievement for cinema from Minas Gerais, which has been having a remarkable year in 2026, starting with the Berlin Film Festival. This makes me very happy for the local artists and excited about the next steps for this generation that I am part of.”
On Behalf of My Son premieres in 2026 on Netflix.
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