The Garden Cinema and the Institute of Contemporary Arts present “LC Barreto: 60 Years of Brazilian Film Production,” a 12-film retrospective curated by Adriana Rouanet, Executive Director of Instituto Rouanet, commemorating 60 years of L.C. Barreto Film Productions, Brazil’s legendary production company, helmed by the renowned family of filmmakers. From 25 April- 10 May, the series will celebrate the Barretos’s incomparable influence with a selection of canonical classics and under-seen gems, most of which will premiere in new restorations.

When it comes to Brazilian cinema, “there is before the Barretos and after,” said the actress Sônia Braga, whose breakthrough came in the international hit Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (1976), directed by Bruno Barreto and produced by his parents’ L.C. Barreto Film Productions.

Since its founding in 1963 by Luiz Carlos and Lucy Barreto (who are still active in the company), the Rio de Janeiro–based enterprise—which has, in various capacities, involved their children Bruno, Fábio, and Paula—transformed into one of Brazil’s most important film production companies that has championed radically political and experimental works, festival prizewinners, and unabashed crowd-pleasers alike.

Whether producing, directing, writing, or actually shooting movies, the Barretos have captivated audiences for over half a century with more than 150 films in their catalog, and helped Brazilian cinema achieve critical acclaim and popular recognition on an unprecedented scale.

The retrospective is screening at The Garden Cinema and the ICA from 25 April- 10 May, in partnership with Instituto Rouanet and the Embassy of Brazil in London.