This mockumentary short is full of inspired comic tangents, including a professional Santa Claus trying to find comfort in a newly chilly city of Brazil. Only growing in relevance today, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s inventive vision of adapting to climate disaster is dystopian yet delightfully witty.

Innocent sounds of birdsong signal a fresh chance for rule-breaking in this early, playfully spooky Kleber Mendonça Filho short. Spinning a fairytale of risky curiosity into a photo-roman of mischievous girlhood, the Brazilian filmmaker delights in tearing the dreariness of obedience limb from limb.

Kleber Mendonça Filho’s arresting short carries the spirit of his later debut feature Neighboring Sounds: an apartment’s cacophonous noises lend this eccentric comedy a sinister air. Building to an unforgettable climax, this look at our symbiotic bonds with appliances is a hypnotizing treat.

Interweaving private and collective memories, Kleber Mendonça Filho crafts a playful yet profound ode to his hometown. Imbued with the resilient spirit of an iconic city, this inventive essay film revives the urban legends and charismatic figures that also inspired The Secret Agent.

Made before global use of smartphones skyrocketed, the charms of this look at long-distance relationships have gained a new resonance over time. A sketch of two people separated by thousands of miles trying to share in a tender moment, this compassionate short is a masterclass in creative editing.