CALL HIM MADAME

A Red-Hot-And-True Story

Set in the decadent underworld of 1930's Rio de Janeiro, "Madame Sata" is the story of a man who is black, muscular, tender, violent and gay. One minute he is a macho menace wielding a sharp razor; the next minute he is a satiny seductress singing a Josephine Baker love song. He is also a vital father figure to seven adopted children, and he spends more than a little time in a prison cell. His given name is Joao Francisco dos Santos, but eventually he becomes Madame Sata, a glamorous, widely celebrated chanteuse.

The applause for Brazilian director Karim Ainouz's fact-based feature debut, boasting an astonishing performance by Lazaro Ramos in the title role, was thunderous at last year's Cannes Festival and at the Chicago International Film Festival, where it received a Gold Hugo for Best Film. Starting July 9 and running through July 22, New Yorkers will have a chance to see what the shouting was all about when "Madame Sata" plays at Film Forum. For more information on Forum events, visit www.filmforum.com.