Neirud died shrouded in mystery, leaving behind no trace of her past. Confronting family secrets, the filmmaker pieces together the life of her enigmatic aunt, who toured Brazil as a wrestler in an underground all-female circus troupe throughout the 60s and 80s. As she investigates Neirud's controversial ring persona, Gorilla Woman, the filmmaker uncovers a taboo-breaking love story, revealing the surprising nature of Neirud's role in her own family.

Fernanda Faya is a filmmaker, cinematographer, and educator born and raised in Sao Paulo, and based in Queens, New York. Her first feature documentary NEIRUD won the Gran Prix and Best Editing Awards in June at Curitiba Int'l Film Festival (Olhar de Cinema). She is currently finishing the short doc ALONE TOGETHER and developing her first fiction film, BETE, recipient of Spcine Development Fund. Fernanda is a member of the Brazilian Collective of Female Cinematographers (DAFB); Her first film ONE FOR THE ROAD had its premiere at DOC NYC Film Festival and screened in festivals worldwide. She holds an MFA in documentary storytelling from Hunter College Integrated Media Arts program and is a professor of Cinematography at Brooklyn College in New York.