Bahia SCI-FI(2015)

Bahia SCI-FI is a documentary that explores the making of Nuclear Shelter, an ambitious 1981 science fiction film shot entirely in Bahia on a shoestring budget. Director Roberto Pires, a longtime nuclear energy activist, collaborated with screenwriter Orlando Senna and consulted physicist César Lattes to craft a cautionary tale about humanity's vulnerability to nuclear war. With minimal resources and boundless creativity, Pires constructed a spaceship and studio in his own backyard, enlisting family, friends, and neighbors to bring his vision to life. The documentary traces Pires's artistic journey and the geopolitical anxieties of late-1970s Brazil, featuring interviews with Senna, producer Laura Pires, and others who witnessed this unconventional production. Bahia SCI-FI celebrates an overlooked chapter in Brazilian cinema and the resourcefulness of a filmmaker determined to warn the world about nuclear catastrophe.