Motel Destino

The neon-hued Motel Destino is a roadside sex hotel under the burning blue skies of the coast of Northern Brazil, run by the boorish Elias and his frustrated, beautiful wife Dayana. When 21 year-old Heraldo finds himself at the motel, after messing up a hit and going on the run from both the police and the gang he let down, Dayana finds herself intrigued and lets him stay. As the two navigate a dance of power, desire and liberation, a dangerous plan for freedom emerges. In this tropical noir, loyalties and desires intertwine, revealing that destiny has its own enigmatic design.

Karim Aïnouz is an award-winning filmmaker. He debuted as a director with MADAME SATÃ (Cannes Un Certain, Regard 2002). His other works include FIREBRAND (Cannes Competition 2023), MARINER OF THE MOUNTAINS (Official Selection Cannes, 2021),  NARDJES A. (Berlin Panorama, 2020), CENTRAL AIRPORT THF (Berlin Amnesty Prize, 2018), FUTURO BEACH (Berlin Competition, 2014), THE SILVER CLIFF (Cannes Directors Fortnight, 2011),  I TRAVEL BECAUSE I HAVE TO, I COME BACK BECAUSE I LOVE YOU (Venice, Orizontti, 2009) and LOVE FOR SALE (Venice, Orizontti, 2006). INVISIBLE LIFE won the Un Certain Regard Prize at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and has been the recipient of several prizes worldwide. Aïnouz is also a screenwriter, tutor and member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. MOTEL DESTINO is his latest feature.