The Girls From Ipanema, or Coisa Mais Linda in Portuguese, is a Brazilian Netflix Original series first released in 2019. It narrates the story of Malu (Maria Casadevall) and her journey as a nightclub owner in Rio de Janeiro during the 1950s/1960s. Malu, along with her friends Adélia (Pathy De Jesus), Lígia (Fernanda Vasconcellos), and Thereza (Mel Lisboa), break stereotypical roles of women and criticize the patriarchal constructions observed in society through a realistic depiction of sexism that Brazilian women have always faced.
The two-season show is composed of 13 episodes that last, on average, 50 minutes. Each episode criticizes how society viewed women and how their relevance was dependent on their husbands. There was no such thing as a successful female entrepreneur, and this is where The Girls From Ipanema kicks in.
It is a series that consists of powerful women assuming roles and making decisions for themselves in a time where that was not possible. It shows how crucial it is for us, women, to support our other female friends and to never doubt ourselves based on our gender. More importantly, the show is full of meaningful representation of Brazilian women, who are continually oversexualized and badly portrayed in the media.
The Girls From Ipanema deconstructs the idea that Brazilian women are sexual objects and shows their daily reality in such a misogynistic society. As a Brazilian woman myself, this is extremely important for me. This show is part of an international streaming platform that reaches thousands of people at any minute; showing real Brazilian women helps deconstruct the stereotypes associated with Latinas that have been overstressed throughout decades.
For me, this has meant more than I could have ever imagined. I see myself in these characters and my fellow Brazilian women, many of whom face very different struggles due to their skin color. Racism and colorism are very prevalent in Brazilian culture, and The Girls from Ipanema does not shy away from addressing these issues.
I encourage any female-identifying person, no matter their cultural identity, to experience this show. There is so much to gain from relating to these characters and even more to learn about ourselves regarding the obstacles we face everyday within our communities.