Onda Nova follows the Gayvotas, a São Paulo women's football club assembled just after Brazil legalized the women's game, as they scandalize a conservative dictatorship on the way to their first match. Censors pulled the film soon after its 1983 premiere and it stayed unavailable outside Brazil until SPAMFLIX's 4K restoration. It is defiantly queer, chaotic and very funny, and this is about the only way to see it here.
What to expect
An after-midnight house at Nitehawk Williamsburg with table service running through the film. The presentation is a 4K restoration on DCP, 103 minutes, in Portuguese with English subtitles. Crowds for restored cult titles here are small, loud and delighted, which is the correct energy for this particular film.
Good to know
- Nitehawk Williamsburg is on Metropolitan Avenue near Wythe — the L at Bedford Avenue is the easiest approach.
- Midnite shows are 21+ and ID is checked at the door.
- The film is in Portuguese with English subtitles and moves quickly, so sit where you can read comfortably.
- It earns its cult reputation honestly, with nudity, sex comedy and dictatorship-era politics throughout.
- In-seat ordering means your check arrives during the credits; leave a moment to settle it.
- Seating is reserved, so book the row you want rather than arriving early.
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Common questions
Why was Onda Nova banned?
Brazil's military-era censors pulled it shortly after its 1983 festival premiere, and the film effectively disappeared from circulation until it was restored decades later.
Is this a sports movie?
Only loosely. The women's football club is the setup, but the film is really a queer sex comedy about defying a repressive state.
Is it subtitled?
Yes, it screens in Portuguese with English subtitles from a 4K restoration.
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