Vera (1986 film)

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 and the movie cover the story of a trans man who attempts to find himself while living 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.