Vera is a 1986 Brazilian semi-biographical drama film written and directed by Sérgio Toledo. Shot in São Paulo, it stars Ana Beatriz Nogueira, Norma Blum, Raul Cortez, Carlos Kroeber, and Aída Leiner. The film is based on the life of Anderson Bigode Herzer, a transgender man most known as the author of poems book A queda para o alto (Descending Upwards). Both the book an the movie cover the story of a transman who attempts to find himself while live in a boarding school in São Paulo, but experiences many prejudices and traumatic experiences.

The initial conception for the film's script came following research carried out by the Brazilian government organization Fundação de Bem-Estar do Menor (Febem), as well as the reports written by Herzer in his book, which was published after his death. Funding for the film came from Embrafilme as well as the private sector.

Ana Beatriz Nogueira's performance was acclaimed by critics and earned her numerous awards, including the Silver Bear in the Best Actress category at the Berlin International Film Festival, the second Brazilian actress to achieve this following Marcélia Cartaxo's win for Hour of the Star.

Plot
Bauer (birth name "Vera") is a transsexual man who lives in a correctional facility for young people. After writing a book of verses about his life as a young troubled youth, he meets a benevolent, educated man, who helps him. The man even allows him to spend some time at his home, and arranges for a job for him as an intern in his office.

He comes into his gender identity and begins to dress as a man, eventually falling in love with a woman and passing as cisgender to her family.

The film succeeds in focusing on Bauer's personality and feelings until his tragic death.

Cast
 Ana Beatriz Nogueira as Vera
 Norma Blum
 Raul Cortez as Eduardo Suplicy
 Carlos Kroeber
 Adriana Abujamra
 Cida Almeida
 Liana Duval
 Abrahão Farc
 Aida Leiner
 Imara Reis

Reception
In 1986, at the Festival de Brasília it won the awards for Best Actress (Nogueira), Best Soundtrack (Arrigo Barnabé), and Best Sound (José Luiz Sasso). In 1987, Nogueira won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the  37th Berlin International Film Festival, where Vera was nominated for Best Film. At the Three Continents Festival Nogueira received a Honourable Mention.

See also 
 Rosely Roth

References

External links
 

1986 films
1980s biographical drama films
1986 LGBT-related films
Biographical films about writers
Brazilian biographical drama films
Brazilian LGBT-related films
Films directed by Sérgio Toledo
Films shot in São Paulo
LGBT-related drama films
1980s Portuguese-language films
Films about trans men
Films scored by Arrigo Barnabé
Films based on biographies
1986 drama films