Private Desert
Directed by Aly Muritiba
“Remember when we talked about being alone in the world?” Sara is a genderfluid blue-collar worker who lives as her male birth identity Robson by day while caring for her religious grandmother in Sobradinho, a small town in the northeast of Brazil. Daniel, who teaches in a police academy in southern metropolis Curitiba, has been placed on unpaid leave after a violent incident that’s all over the news. The only thing holding him together is his online romance with Sara, whom he has never met in person. When she suddenly disappears, Daniel drives 2,000 miles across Brazil to find her. He posts Sara’s picture all over town but no one recognizes her, until he receives a mysterious call from someone claiming to know her and asking to meet. What follows is a journey of the heart that will change Sara and Daniel forever. In the tradition of A Fantastic Woman and Strawberry and Chocolate, the film is both a swooning sun-baked romance and a triumphant affirmation of queer love and humanity at a time when LGBTQ+ rights are increasingly imperiled everywhere. An official selection of the Venice Film Festival and Brazil’s official submission to the 94th Academy Awards®, Private Desert boasts lush cinematography and a haunting atmospheric score. You’ll never hear “Total Eclipse of the Heart” the same again.
"Achingly beautiful and incredibly erotic."
"Tenderly electrifying... [an] unshowy treasure."
"Finds grace in stolen moments of tenderness... amid a landscape of violence and repression, they shine like beacons of what could be."
“Tackled with great delicacy and shored up by intense performances.”
"Brimming with electricity yet bathed in the transformative power of love.”
“A surprising and exquisite slow-burn film that pays off big time with an explosion of subtle warmth and eroticism.”
“A potent rejoinder to the hypermasculine, explicitly transphobic values of the Bolsonaro regime.”
“A must see… Given Brazil’s reactionary homophobia, propagated by Bolsonaro’s autocratic government, Muritiba’s film is an act of courage, an attempt to prompt change through the example of storytelling.”
“A swooning cinematic odyssey of love. Aly Muritiba’s Private Desert is not just an intimate, erotic story of queer love; it’s a timely, urgent film of incredible importance to both Brazilian and international societies.”
“One of the most powerful, heartfelt and haunting love stories since Call Me by Your Name.”
Brazil’s Official Submission for International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards®
WINNER - BNL People’s Choice Award at Venice International Film Festival
Official Selection: Venice International Film Festival - Giornate Degli Autori
Official Selection: São Paulo International Film Festival
Official Selection: San Francisco International Film Festival
Official Selection: Frameline Film Festival
Official Selection: OUTshine Film Festival
Pedro Fasanaro
Thomas Aquino
Laila Garin
Zezita De Matos
Sandro Guerra
Luthero De Almeida
Otávio Linhares
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Kino Marquee was launched by Kino Lorber in March 2020 as a new initiative to create "virtual cinemas" for independent theaters temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. It offered audiences the opportunity to watch newly released films that these theaters would otherwise be playing on the big screen from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
We are thrilled that the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions has allowed many of these independent theaters to reopen their doors, and that our films can once again be watched on the big screen! In response, we have incorporated links to physical screenings into our listings on Kino Marquee. You can navigate to any film page on our site to see a list of venues showing the film with buttons for "In Theater" and "Virtual Cinema" options.
Join us in supporting your community's theater by watching award-winning international films, acclaimed documentaries, and restored classics on Kino Marquee. Whether you watch them in the theater or from home, you'll be directly supporting your local art house as all revenue from virtual cinemas is split 50/50 with them.
The rest of this FAQ is focused on virtual cinemas hosted on Kino Marquee. Any questions about in theater screenings or virtual cinemas hosted directly by your local art house should be directed to the theater.
To get your ticket, click the Screen button above. You’ll have to register for an account if you don’t already have one. After you’ve entered your payment information, your rental period will start immediately and last for five days. You can watch the film as many times as you want in those five days.
You can watch on your computer, phone, or most tablets. You can also download the Kino Now app for Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, or Apple TV (tvOS 9.0 or later). See below for more detailed information about app-based viewing options. All viewing methods require high bandwidth internet connection.
You must first purchase the film from your theater’s virtual cinema page on Desktop or Mobile. After doing that, please follow these steps to install the Kino Now app on your Apple TV (requires tvOS 9.0 or later).
Important: You will need to log in using the same email address and password you just created.
To install the Kino Now app for Apple TV, search for “Kino Now” in the app store and follow the instructions for installation.
Once installed, open the app and click the “Sign In” button. The app will ask for your email and Kino Now password.
This is a private showing of the film and is hidden from general view. To watch the film please access "My Library" on top of the page. Enjoy the film for five days from the time of purchase.
You must first purchase the film from your theater’s virtual cinema page on Desktop or Mobile. After doing that, please follow these steps to install the Kino Now app on your Roku.
To install the Kino Now app for Roku, click here. Or search for “Kino Now” in the app store and follow the instructions for installation.
The first time you open it, it may take an extended time for the app to load. You will be prompted with a code. Visit kinonow.com/activate to activate the app.
This is a private showing of the film and is hidden from general view. To watch the film please access "My Library" on top of the page. Enjoy the film for five days from the time of purchase.
You must first purchase the film from your theater’s virtual cinema page on Desktop or Mobile. After doing that, please follow these steps to install the Kino Now app on your Amazon Fire Stick.
Important: You will need to log in using the same email address and password you just created.
To install the Kino Now app for Amazon Fire Stick, click here. Or search for “Kino Now” in the app store. If the app does not open immediately upon installing, you can find it under “Apps and Channels.”
Under “Account,” either click “Sign in with Email” and enter the same email and password you used to purchase the film or click “Link Device” and you will be prompted with a code. Visit kinonow.com/activate to activate the app using this code.
This is a private showing of the film and is hidden from general view. To watch the film please access "My Library" from the Menu (three horizontal lines) on the top of the page. Enjoy the film for five days from the time of purchase.
We apologize if your device of choice is not currently supported. We are working on adding more ways to watch, but at this time cannot help further on other setup issues. Some customers have had luck with Chromecast and Airplay while others have not. We recommend you check your manufacturer instructions. Kino Marquee was set up very quickly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, so we appreciate your patience.
If you encounter insurmountable issues and cannot watch the film, we guarantee the purchase. For a refund, please write us at contact@kinonow.com with the movie title and the email address you used to make your purchase.
Very good question! If you’re landing on this page, we ask that you only rent the film if you are a customer of this theater. If that’s not the case, please visit kinomarquee.com and navigate to the relevant film page to see a list of theaters where it is playing. Let’s work together to keep all independent theaters healthy in this time of great uncertainty.