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EXCLUSIVE: Larissa: The Other Side of Anitta shows a side to the Brazilian superstar that is rarely seen on camera. Ahead of the Netflix documentary launching, the Rio-born singer-songwriter told Deadline that making the film stirred up strong feelings.
“It was truly a whirlwind of emotions — not all of them good, just like my real life,” she said. “I used to think that the only way to live my dream was by sacrificing my true self, the desires of Larissa. This led me to live on a roller coaster without brakes. Many significant moments from these past years were captured in the film.”
The doc highlights the relationship between Larissa de Macedo Machado, the star’s real name, and Anitta, the superstar performer. “Anitta is the superhero — Larissa is the human being,” a voiceover says in the film.
“The film clearly highlights the duality between Larissa and Anitta,” she said. “They are distinct personalities — one is my true self, and the other is a persona I created to overcome fears and traumas, and fight for what I wanted.
“Throughout my journey, I learned that everything comes at a price, and sometimes that price is quite high. Finding maturity and reconnecting with myself was a beautiful and important journey of self-discovery. Learning to respect and understand oneself is a valuable lesson.”
Netflix launches Larissa: The Other Side of Anitta globally on March 6. It takes in moments from her career including scenes from Rio’s Carnival, wins at international awards shows, and her Coachella set.
João Wainer directs alongside Pedro Cantelmo. Wainer told Deadline that Larissa gave his team free rein creatively. “She allowed us to work independently, giving us the freedom to draw our own conclusions so that the audience could see her story through the eyes of those closest to her — people with deep personal connections, like a former crush from her youth, who had the access and insight to witness some of the most vulnerable moments of her life.”
“The only thing that she requested of me was that this film not be made to evoke pity but rather to inspire.”
U.S.-based and Brazilian-led Ginga Pictures produced the film for Netflix. It previously won an MTV VMA Award for the video for Anitta song ‘Funk Rave’. Ginga’s Felipe Britto is an EP on the new doc, and said as well as revealing a side to the star rarely seen, it has universal themes. “Over the course of three years of transformation, this documentary captures how Larissa, who had long been set aside to make room for Anitta’s rise, begins to reclaim space in her own life.”
He added: “Through this journey, we hope to highlight the crucial importance of balance in a person’s life, the need to listen to ourselves, to look inward, and to recognize that, even in cases like hers, where everything appears perfect on the surface, there is often a part silently asking for help.”
