A judicial decision can recognize someone's innocence, but it cannot bring back the years spent in prison. This scar runs through "Habeas Corpus," a series directed by Luiz Villaça that debuts this Wednesday, November 23, on Netflix. By following the attempt to overturn a conviction, the production raises discussions about social and racial inequalities in access to Brazilian justice.
"What we are interested in is exposing the intricacies of injustice and how it operates according to social class," Villaça states in an interview with [Journal/Media Outlet].Brazil's Radio Fato.
Starring Marjorie Estiano and Any Gabrielly, the production is inspired by the work of the Innocence Project Brasil, an organization that investigates and acts to reverse unjust convictions. The volume of requests received by the project caught the filmmaker's attention during their research.
"In the few years of this project's existence, over 9,000 people have already sought them out," he reports.
The requests do not equate to proven cases of innocence. As the director explains, the work involves studying the circumstances of each conviction before seeking a criminal review.
Unequal Justice
Commenting on the profile of individuals affected by wrongful convictions, Villaça highlights the connection between social class and race. "If you take the largest number of these incarcerated and innocent people, I tell you that 99% are from low socio-economic backgrounds and, almost always, black," said the director.
In fiction, these issues appear in the trajectory of Inez (Marjorie Estiano), a law professor and former criminal lawyer who gathers students to review the conviction of a young man. Among the members is Marina (Any Gabrielly), a student who approaches the teacher with a motivation linked to an injustice that affected her family.
The narrative articulates three universes: that of successful lawyers, law students, and the man in prison. Among the five students, there is the son of a successful lawyer to a scholarship holder who entered through quotas.
The meeting allows for discussing both the conditions of access to the profession as well as the distance between the projects of those who start and the choices of those who have already built a career.
"When we are studying, what do we imagine we will be able to do in life and develop within our beliefs? And when we take these three older lawyers, what have they become? Did they achieve what they imagined?" asks Villaça.
Continuous case
The investigation unfolds throughout the season, in a structure that the director differentiates from the format of American legal series centered on a case per episode.
"Our series follows the case of an innocent. It is not episodic like American series; it is an eight-episode series that deals with a single case that evolves over time," the filmmaker explains.
The choice of what to show also follows interest in the paths leading to conviction and the possibilities of contesting it. "The series does not go inside the prison; it is always from the visiting room to the outside, because that is not what we are interested in," Villaça asserts.
Legal conflicts intertwine with personal relationships, especially in the meeting of the protagonists. "They meet at a time when both are seeking redress for the past, and from there, there is all this development," the director says about Inez and Marina.
Rigorous preparation
Vladimir Brichta, Danton Mello, and Natália Lage portray prominent lawyers. The cast also includes Naruna Costa and other names. For Villaça, the responsibility of addressing the judicial system required a preparation that involved actors and professionals behind the cameras.
"If we hadn't delved deeply and had so many workshops with lawyers, gone to courts, and witnessed trials to understand what it means to be a lawyer and the intricacies of Brazilian justice, we would be being reckless in touching on this subject," he states.
In addition to mastering terms and procedures, the director highlights the built-up trust with artists he had previously worked with, combined with new partnerships, such as Marjorie Estiano. "The more we work together, the more we get to know each other and the more chance we have to explore other paths," the filmmaker explains.
Collective Writing
With Leonardo Moreira leading the team and responsible for the final script, the production featured authors such as Jeferson Tenório, Victoria Negreiros, Silvia Gomez, and Donna Oliveira. According to Villaça, the diversity of the room was fundamental in developing characters with distinct experiences from their own.
Commenting on Tenório's contribution, the director states: "He was fundamental in showing and guiding some characters about which we don't have a voice."
"How can I, a 60-year-old white, straight man, put myself in the position of a 23-year-old black girl? It's impossible. So we need this exchange," Villaça emphasizes.
The filmmaker also highlights Victoria Negreiros' participation, a black woman, and playwright Silvia Gomez in discussions about the characters' conflicts, doubts, and motivations.
Produced by Café Royal, "Habeas Corpus" has a concept by Villaça, Leonardo Moreira, and Donna Oliveira, with episode direction split between Villaça and Flávia Lacerda. The director hopes the combination of investigation, romances, and personal conflicts will encourage the audience to reevaluate their own judgments.
"I believe that people who watch it will pause for a moment to think about how they act," Villaça concludes.