Lula, the Son of Brazil 2012

The film opens in October 1945 in Garanhuns, a serene town nestled in the countryside of Pernambuco, where Luiz Inácio da Silva, affectionately known as Lula, enters the world as the seventh child of Dona Lindu and Aristides. Just two weeks after his birth, a pivotal change occurs as Aristides relocates to Santos, a bustling coastal city in São Paulo, with Dona Mocinha, a cousin of Dona Lindu. Left behind, Lindu takes on the daunting task of raising Lula’s siblings on her own until December 1952, when the family reunites to meet their father.

Upon their arrival in Santos, Dona Lindu is met with a shocking revelation: Aristides has created a second family alongside Dona Mocinha. The uncomfortable reality sets in as both families share the same household, leading to an ongoing battle for survival. While Lula and his siblings juggle elementary school with street vending jobs, life grows increasingly challenging.

Eventually, Lindu makes the brave decision to escape the clutches of her alcoholic and abusive husband, moving her children to São Paulo in search of a better life. Here, Lula earns his certification as a lathe operator and secures a formal job within the automobile industry, but tragedy strikes when he loses a finger in a machine press. This personal loss, compounded by his brother Ziza’s arrest, ignites a passion for trade union activism within him—a pursuit that brings him into the national spotlight during a time when such movements were heavily suppressed.

As his activism escalates, Lula finds himself facing incarceration, all while grappling with the profound sorrow of losing his mother. The film powerfully encapsulates his early life, marked by hardship, resilience, and the unwavering spirit of a man destined to make a difference.