The Edge of Democracy (2019)

  This was nominated for Best Documentary at this year's Oscars but lost to another Netflix film.  I think this one might be more important than American Factory but it is hindered by an insider-only knowledge of Brazilian politics.

Petra Costa grew up the child of pro-democracy revolutionaries.  Her parents were jailed for opposing the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil for most of her life.  She is elated at the true democratic election of President Lula Da Silva and his hand-picked successor Dilma Rousseff, only to witness their implication in a corruption scandal that paved the way for extreme right-wing conservative Jair Bolsonaro.  A scandal revealed by leaked wiretaps to be purely an invention of the oligarchy who feared losing their power.  Costa presents this with incredible proximity to these leaders, scoring personal interviews with da Silva and Rousseff, as well as personal reflections and comparisons of her family's struggle.

I could have used a more comprehensive overview of Brazil's politics, since I'm not super familiar with that country, but the documentary does a decent job of outlining why this particular moment is important in their recent history.  However, given the current situation re: pandemic and critical mismanagement of resources at the federal level, Americans might want to pass on this for a bit.  Maybe watch something happy instead.  I hear Frozen 2 is on Disney+ and Onward just got released on VOD so, you know, choose wisely.  Edge of Democracy is currently streaming on Netflix.