In samba schools, female singers are called Pastoras. Their voices bring lightness to samba. In the early days, the women, singing the best composition in chorus, determined what would be the samba that would win in the  schoolyard. Today, the Pastoras are part of the school’s veterans (Velha Guarda) still lending their voices to the most traditional sambas of the schools. In Rio de Janeiro, Portela was one of the first samba schools to keep this tradition alive. In this documentary, we will learn the story of four Pastoras of Portela: Tia Surica, Neide Santana, Aurea Maria and Jane Carla.

Say My Name is a documentary about two Brazilian transgender women fighting for the right to have their names and gender identified in all official documents and seeking respect from their families and society. Selem, 45 years old, is a transvestite; Diana, 22, is a transsexual woman.