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Central Station

1998 · Movie · R · 111 min · ★ 8.1 · 87% critics

Drama

A former school teacher earns money writing letters for people who can’t read, then becomes responsible for a grieving young boy after a tragedy. Together, they travel across Brazil to search for the father he never knew, forming an unlikely bond while confronting loneliness, guilt, and hope.

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Details
Original title
Central do Brasil
Years
1998
Release date
1998-04-03
Language
Portuguese
Rated
R
Runtime
111 min
Critic score
87/100
TMDB rating
8.1/10 (1,048 votes)
Box office
$22,000,000
Budget
$2,900,000
About

You’ll likely enjoy Central Station if you like emotionally grounded road stories and tender connections, with a realistic, no-nonsense atmosphere; Not for you if you want a light, upbeat experience or prefer plot-driven surprises over character-focused feeling, similar to The Motorcycle Diaries or La haine.

Pros: deeply emotional journey; strong on-screen bond; memorable lead performance | Cons: bleak, heavy tone; relationship starts prickly

Themes

  • rio de janeiro
  • letter
  • wilderness
  • teacher
  • orphan
  • railroad
  • alcoholic
  • missing parent
  • long lost relative
  • realism
  • child trafficking
  • death of parent
  • +9 more

Awards & recognition

  • BAFTA Award — Best Film Not in the English Language · 1999
  • Satellite Award — Best Foreign Language Film · 1999
  • Golden Bear · 1998
  • Golden Globe Award — Best Non-English Language Film · 1998
  • Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award — Best Actress · 1998
Show all 27 awards →
  • National Board of Review Award — Best Actress · 1998
  • National Board of Review Award — Best Foreign Language Film · 1998
  • Silver Bear — Best Actress · 1998
  • Satellite Award — Best Actress – Motion Picture · 2000 · nominated
  • Academy Award — Best International Feature Film · 1999 · nominated
  • Academy Award — Best Actress · 1999 · nominated
  • BAFTA Award — Best Film Not in the English Language · 1999 · nominated
  • César Award — Best Foreign Film · 1999 · nominated
  • Chlotrudis Award — Best Actress · 1999 · nominated
  • Independent Spirit Award — Best Foreign Film · 1999 · nominated
  • International Submission to the Academy Awards · 1999 · nominated
  • Online Film Critics Society Award — Best Foreign Language Film · 1999 · nominated
  • Satellite Award — Best Original Screenplay · 1999 · nominated
  • Satellite Award — Best Foreign Language Film · 1999 · nominated
  • Golden Bear · 1998 · nominated
  • Golden Globe Award — Best Non-English Language Film · 1998 · nominated
  • Golden Globe Award — Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama · 1998 · nominated
  • Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award — Best Actress · 1998 · nominated
  • National Board of Review Award — Best Foreign Language Film · 1998 · nominated
  • National Board of Review Award — Best Actress · 1998 · nominated
  • National Society of Film Critics Award — Best Actress · 1998 · nominated
  • Silver Bear — Best Actress · 1998 · nominated

Cast & crew

Directed by Walter Salles