Master, a Building in Copacabana (2002): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2002, Master, a Building in Copacabana is a documentary film directed by Eduardo Coutinho, running about 110 minutes. “A film about people like you and me” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. "Master" is the name of a 12-story apartment building in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro's neighborhood for nightlife. Over the course of four weeks in 2001, Eduardo Coutinho's film crew rented one of the 276 apartments and used it as home base to make a film about the building's residents. We get to know the building manager, who succeeded in turning the troubled residence into a family complex within just a few years. Using interviews and a few stolen moments in the corridors of the building, Coutinho explores this world. Most of the building's residents come from the lower middle class and are just getting by, but that's just about the only thing they have in common - so many people, so many stories, sometimes told in a self-confident tone, sometimes with averted eyes. The fact that a film crew is interested in their stories puzzles some of them. Hope, fear, dreams, memories, love and loneliness all appear from behind the doors of this average apartment building.

Who’s in it. Master, a Building in Copacabana stars Fernando José as Himself.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.9/10, Master, a Building in Copacabana has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Master, a Building in Copacabana page.

If you liked it. Fans of Master, a Building in Copacabana tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, Burn the Stage: The Movie, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.