One night, a Brazilian woman wakes up in a country exhausted from violent acts. Republic is a short film realized at home, in the beginning of 2020s quarantine, in the center of São Paulo, República neighborhood.

A Black Brazilian family in the city of Belo Horizonte, tries to rebuild their home after a recent loss. Caught between memories and nightmares, and unable to express what they feel to each other, a mother and her children shield themselves from the pain of grief through their individual routines. Only the youngest child understands the secret that the house holds within its four walls and tries to reveal it to the others, only to fall on deaf ears. Finally, confronted with the truth, they face the deep roots of their grief and come together to traverse this moment with love and courage.

To escape her abusive husband, garbage collector Gal packs her two young children, Rihanna and Benin, onto the top of her cart and heads across São Paulo to her cousin’s house. As she struggles to avoid the dangers of the streets along the way, she convinces the children that they are on a big and exciting adventure. When they arrive at her cousin’s house, they are warmly welcomed and fed. However, what initially seems like a safe haven soon turns out to be a trap. Gal realises that not only her own safety is at risk, but also the future of her children.