“Motel Destino”, interview with director Karim Aïnouz

Karim Aïnouz: “after the years of horror Brazil lived, I shot there as I was missing the sun, the anarchy and the celebration of life”

“Motel Destino”, interview with director Karim Aïnouz Chiara Nicoletti

Podcast | Download

After “Firebrand“, a period film about British royalty, Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz went back shooting in his country “Motel Destino“, presented in competition at the 77th Festival de Cannes.

Karim Aïnouz returns to his home province, Cearà, for a story of lust, sex, passion and colors between three people. All set in a Motel , which is home for desire and fantasies, Motel Destino is Aïnouz’s way to react to the “years of horror Brazil lived in”.

To quote the director: “Motel Destino is a portrait of characters fervently pursuing their aspirations and seeking to carve out their own destinies. It is also a love story about Heraldo, a young defiant outsider, and Dayana, a woman who dares to confront society’s expectations. Their encounter at Motel Destino ignites a vivid spark that challenges the constrained future society has laid out for them”.

Plot

The neon-hued Motel Destino, a roadside sex hotel steaming under the burning blue skies of the northeastern coast of Brazil, is run by hot-headed Elias and his restless younger wife Dayana. The unexpected arrival of 21-year-old Heraldo, on the run after a botched hit, disrupts the established order. As the tropical noir plays out, loyalties and desires intertwine to reveal that destiny has its own enigmatic design.

Rate it

News

Locarno Film Festival

Locarno Film Festival 2026 awards: You Don’t Belong Here wins the Pardo d’Oro

August 16, 2026

Florin Șerban’s You Don’t Belong Here leads the Locarno Film Festival 2026 palmarès, with major awards also going to Hong Sangsoo, Monica Bellucci, Kim Minhee and Petra Volpe.

Interview

Locarno Film Festival

“Atcha Atcha”, interview with director Mamadou Dia

August 13, 2026

Atcha Atcha highlights the vibrant African dance scene and its fragile cultural roots, showcasing movement, identity, and the power of local expression.