In Recife, on the Brazilian coast, residents of a flourishing neighborhood go about their quiet lives until their routines are disrupted by the arrival of a private security company. The company’s presence brings a sense of safety to some and tension to others, as power dynamics gradually emerge.

The acclaimed Neighboring Sounds is critic-turned-filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho’s feature debut. Subtly commenting on class relations in Brazil through the city of Recife’s ominous sounds, it is a sensorial and unique piece of filmmaking, evoking a state of torpor hanging in the hot, heavy air.