Scheduled for release in Brazil on April 25th, a historic day for Portuguese democracy, this feature film by Varela, inspired by a real case, has social objectives, the director told Lusa. “I believe in the unique power of cinema, capable of trigger debates and reflections that only the dark and silence of a room provoke in us. May this film be that place where courage is gained, where especially women, with the necessary and mandatory support, can identify and denounce their aggressors, whoever they may be”, he stated. “Smoky Glass” is part of the fictionalization of a heinous crime against an American student, which took place in Rio de Janeiro in 2013, to address the delicate topic of violence against women”, said the Portuguese filmmaker, highlighting that “social and racial aspects still constitute factors of differentiation between victims”, as well as the attention they receive from public authorities and the media. Regarding the film, produced in Brazil and which is the result of a co-production with the North American Belladonna (NY) and Grumpy Panda (Portugal), the Portuguese director said that called “Smoky Glass” because of the dark windows in cars, which hide reality, which separate and divide.Pedro Varela, who started as an actor at the age of 16 and worked for 15 years in theater, cinema and television.In 2002 he represented Portugal at the International Theater Festival, in Rio de Janeiro, with the staging of “A Barca do Inferno”, by Gil Vicente, made up of an entirely Brazilian cast. The filmmaker said that all his projects “have a connection to Brazil”, country that he considers “an immense place of culture”. Believing in the power of the Portuguese language, Varela says that he “does not leave out the Portuguese-speaking African Countries (PALOP)” and all the work that can be carried out within Lusophony .The film, which had two special screenings for women only last week, followed by a debate, in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, will premiere in cinemas across Brazil on April 25th and will arrive in Portugal later summer's.