A highway movie

Overview

Four researchers record their perceptions as they walk through the patch of the BR-116 that goes through Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, looking for characters who’ve had their lives connected throughout the highway. The BR-116, the largest road in Brazil, crosses 10 states and connects Fortaleza to the municipality of Jaguarão, at the Uruguayan border, while also going through Canoas, splitting the city in two. The documentary brings testimonies from different people who share their life stories. “A Highway Movie” (2025) is the work that concludes Wender Zanon’s trilogy on Canoas, which starts with “This Is Canoas, Not Poa” (2021), followed by “Essays on a city” (2024).