Inara Chayamiti is an award-winning Japanese-Brazilian documentary filmmaker and videomaker based in Braga (Portugal) who has been telling nonfiction stories for almost 20 years. She masters the various stages of audiovisual production, both technically and creatively, working as a director, producer, screenwriter, director of photography, editor, and impact producer.
She created documentaries, series, branded content, institutional videos, video reports and campaign videos for companies and organisations such as: Greenpeace, Google, Folha de S. Paulo, Marie Claire, Laudes Foundation, Avaaz, GOL e Riot Games (two seasons of “Legends Rising”, with international teams in the USA, Chile, France and UK).
Her independent works have been screened at various festivals. Among them is the feature film Where the Waves Break (2024, Logan Nonfiction Program, Expo Osaka and festivals), the short Raam (2020, SHIFT Film Festival Award), the short Yzalú - Rap, Feminism and Blackness (2018, CineB Solar Award and festivals such as In-Edit, Curta Kinoforum, MIMO) and Volta na Quadra (2015, NETLABTV Award).
As a videojournalist, she worked at Folha de S. Paulo, the largest Brazilian newspaper, and at the publishing companies Globo and Abril. She received her degree in Journalism from the State University of Londrina (Brazil), has a specialized degree in cinema from Anhembi Morumbi University (Brazil), studied documentary at UnionDocs (USA) and is currently enrolled in the Masters in Audiovisual at the University of Minho (Portugal).
Where the Waves Break
ondeasondasquebram.com
As in the Japanese art of repairing ceramics with gold, the documentary filmmaker Inara Chayamiti searches for her fragmented identity by gluing together pieces of her family story, marked by two diasporas between opposite sides of the world: Brazil and Japan.
• The film was screened in 24 cities across 5 countries, at 28 events and 6 festivals, and was discussed by 31 guests from diverse fields of knowledge.
• Festivals (2024-2025): DisOrient (USA), Guarnicê Festival (Brazil), Santos Film Fest (Brazil), Goitacá International Festival (Brazil), Toronto Japanese Film Festival (Canada), Encontros da Imagem (Portugal)
• Expo Osaka, Brazilian Pavilion (Japan, 2025)
• Film screenings and discussions (2023-2025, Brazil, Portugal, Japan and Canada) in museums, cultural, academic and community spaces, such as: São Paulo State Immigration Museum, Kobe Emigration Museum, Batalha Cinema Center, universities of Coimbra and São Paulo, Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, among others
• Impact evaluation presented at the American Evaluation Association's Annual Conference (2023, USA) and at the MigraMediaActs International Conference at University of Minho (2025, Portugal)
• Presentation at the 64th Convention of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad (Japan, 2024)
• Fellowship Logan Nonfiction Program (2021, USA)
• Finalist at the Sundance Documentary Fund (2021, USA) and the Berlinale Talents (2022, Germany)
Yzalú - Rap, Feminism and Blackness
The short shows Yzalú's journey as a rapper while being a physically disabled black woman from the outskirts of Sao Paulo discovering feminism and fighting racism through her music - with emphasis on the song "Mulheres Negras”, an anthem for many.
• Selected by 8 festivals, such as in-Edit Brazil, São Paulo International Short Film Festival (Curta Kinoforum), MIMO Festival and Festival International Du Film Sur Le Handicap (2018-2019, Brazil and France)
• CineB Solar Award (2019, Brazil)
• One of the best 2017-2018 productions selected by a City Hall of Sao Paulo’s competition: Semana Paulistana do Curta-Metragem (2018, Brazil)
• Non-theatrical screenings for about 900 people and debates with the protagonist (2019, Brazil)
• Art show Decolonizing Realities, by YOUth ACT at Cinetol, in Amsterdam (2021, Netherlands)
• Screening at the Film Club of Braga (2024, Portugal)
• Film debates in 5 high schools for about 400 students with Film Club of Braga (2024, Portugal)
