Watch Vereda Tropical

Vereda Tropical is a fictional account of the life of the late Argentinian gay writer Manuel Puig's exile in Rio de Janeiro. Directed by Javier Torres, the film touches on how Puig was afraid he would contract AIDS in Brazil's open society, his struggles with his married boyfriend, his appointments with wealthy, female friends and his collaborations with a female scholar who traveled with him to a conference in Texas. The film also shows the brightness and openness of Rio through color, scenery and setting, showing how so much beauty and possibility can also become a torment.