Power Alley
Power Alley is a 2023 drama film co-written and directed by Lillah Halla. The film centres on Sofia, a 17-year-old volleyball player in Brazil who is on the verge of being offered an athletic scholarship, when she unexpectedly finds herself pregnant and must struggle to find a way to get an abortion in light of the political and legal situation in the country.
The film also addresses secondary themes about the status of LGBTQ communities in Brazil; Sofia herself is dating one of her teammates, and her volleyball team includes LGBTQ teammates whose own struggles for equality are depicted alongside Sofia's struggle for reproductive choice.
Its supporting cast includes Loro Bardot, Grace Passô, Gláucia Vandeveld, Rômulo Braga and Larissa Siqueira.
Production
Halla's feature debut, the film was made as an international coproduction of companies from Brazil, France and Uruguay after its initial funding was rescinded in a wave of politically-motivated arts cutbacks by the government of Jair Bolsonaro.Distribution
Ahead of its premiere, the film secured a sales deal with M-Appeal, which announced numerous international distribution deals later in the year.The film premiered in the Critics' Week program at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, where it was the winner of the FIPRESCI Prize for Parallel Sections and was in contention for the Queer Palm.
At the 2023 Festival du nouveau cinéma in Canada, it was the winner of the inaugural Fierté Montréal prize for best LGBTQ-themed film in the festival lineup.