Chico Buarque, in Budapest, beside the statue in homage to the Anonymous Writer.

Exile is a recurrent theme in Chico Buarque's life and work. The story of BUDAPEST is also the story of the voluntary and involuntary exiles of the main character, José Costa. The experience of being foreign, both abroad and in one's own country.

The character José Costa has already been described by many critics as Chico Buarque's great alter ego. His work allows him to observe and write without exposing himself, something the composer-singer-writer has always wanted for himself.

Buarque took 2 years to write BUDAPEST, a game with time and words, with the perfectionism for which his work is known.

Within his array of characters and stories, BUDAPEST is a male narrative, quick and sharp-witted. The story of the ghostwriter who lives divided between Budapest and Rio de Janeiro, between Vanda and Kriska, wife and lover, between paradise and damnation, between mirrors.

Some critics see José Costa as an ironically tragic character, destined to see his own story constantly retold and rewritten.

Every person is actually a point of convergence of many selves, of many possible narratives. Of stories that do or do not unfold. BUDAPEST is about these choices, about parallel stories. About the plurality in each and every one of us.

His intense narrative provokes us to think about truth: is it merely a matter of point of view? About love: is it a matter of choice? About happiness: is peace possible?

Transferring this instigating modern narrative to the screen has become a great dream and challenge for Nexus.