Stomach

Original title: Estômago

Director:

Marcos Jorge

Writers:

Fabrizio Donvito (screenplay), Cláudia da Natividade, and 2 more credits »

Stars:

João Miguel, Fabiula Nascimento and Babu Santana

Official Sites:

Official site [Brazil] | Add/edit official sites  »

Country:

Brazil | Italy

Language:

Portuguese

Release Date:

11 April 2008 (Brazil) See more »

Also Known As:

Estômago: A Gastronomic Story See more »

Filming Locations:

Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil See more » 

 

he film shows in parallel two periods in the life of Raimundo Nonato (João Miguel): one showing his successful career as cook, the other as prisoner in a cell with about ten other prisoners. Gradually the film makes clear that the prison period is later.

His period as cook starts with a situation where he arrives by bus in a big city, without a place to sleep and without even money for food. He eats chicken snacks in a cafetaria, and has to wash the dishes to pay for it. He gets a job without getting wages, just food and lodging, even though the snacks he cooks are so good that it attracts more customers. He has free sex with prostitute Íria obsessed with eating, in exchange for food. He is very jealous. In a bar where Íria works as an erotic dancer, after drinking alcohol without being accustomed to that, he starts a fight with a customer, and is thrown out. Íria takes care of him. Nonato gets a better job in an Italian restaurant, where he learns more of cooking from his boss Giovanni. One day he discovers that Giovanni has sex with Íria. He is very upset, first drinks a bottle of wine, then kills both. He cuts off a slice of Íria's behind, and cooks it for his meal.

In the prison cell there is a power hierarchy with Bujiú (Babu Santana) at the top. The food is poor, and Nonato is assigned to cook better food. The inmates are usually quite satisfied with it, and Nonato rises in the hierarchy. However, Bujiú rejects Gorgonzola, raw meat, and cooked ants. Ingredients are usually bought through guards; the ants were collected from the cell. Top-criminal Etcetera (Paulo Miklos) arrives, who is highly esteemed among the inmates, and Bujiú decides that a great meal should be cooked to please him. The main prison kitchen is arranged for the preparation; this is expensive, but according to Bujiú a good investment. Nonato poisons Bujiú and becomes the leader of the cell (Etcetera has his own cell).