In a rural world devastated by an epidemic, a man who collects animal carcasses tries to start over by reopening a slaughterhouse. But the presence of a sinister circus that sells miracles while concealing a supernatural power drags him into an inevitable confrontation. A novel by Ana Paula Maia, one of the most powerful voices in contemporary Brazilian literature.
After an epidemic that devastated the countryside, Edgar Wilson survives by collecting dead animals from the roads. He lives alone, works in silence, and carries on amid the remnants of a country trying to piece itself back together.
His routine changes when Espartacus proposes reopening an old slaughterhouse to raise buffalo and produce meat, taking advantage of the absence of oversight. Edgar agrees to join the project alongside two old companions: Tomás, a former priest consumed by guilt, and Bronco, a rough man who reappears after vanishing during the darkest days of the epidemic.
The slaughterhouse is not empty. Part of the land has been rented to a traveling group called the Circus of Revelations, led by Mendonça. Both operations share the same property, separated only by improvised fences: on one side, meat is processed; on the other, miracles are sold. The circus attracts crowds by promising healings and revelations, and its main attraction is Azalea, a young woman capable of keeping a decapitated rooster alive.
Shortly after arriving, Edgar finds Huracán, one of the circus performers, dying. Before passing away, the man tells him it was no accident: someone attacked him because he had discovered a secret. Mendonça tries to close the matter quickly to avoid police involvement and points to a trapeze artist as the possible culprit.
Following that lead, Edgar seeks her out. She tells him another story: Azalea was kidnapped as a child and has lived under the circus’s control ever since. Her body harbors something impossible to explain—she can keep alive bodies that should already be dead. The circus exists solely to exploit that power and attract a population traumatized by catastrophe. Huracán had discovered the truth and wanted to leave; Mendonça ordered his murder to maintain control.
As the slaughterhouse begins operating, Edgar discovers that the buffalo have been stolen from Helvecio, a regional producer. Before the conflict can be resolved, Espartacus suddenly dies of a heart attack, leaving Edgar, Tomás, and Bronco in charge of an illegal and fragile business. Helvecio arrives with the police to reclaim his livestock, but many animals have already been slaughtered and there is insufficient evidence to make arrests.
Edgar realizes that the circus represents a direct threat: Mendonça eliminates anyone who speaks, Azalea remains captive, and coexistence is impossible. Together with Tomás and Bronco, he decides to act. They storm the circus grounds. During the confrontation, Mendonça seriously wounds Bronco and, upon seeing Azalea disappear, takes his own life. Without her, the circus dissolves.
Bronco is declared dead at the hospital. But against all logic, Edgar manages to bring him back to life, repeating the same phenomenon the circus had exploited for years. Edgar understands that the boundary between life and death is no longer firm, that the world never returned to normal after the epidemic, and that they now inhabit an in-between zone where bodies can return.
Even so, he moves forward: collecting carcasses, caring for his own, and keeping the slaughterhouse running. In a devastated landscape, his only form of resistance is to continue—carrying meat, guilt, and the remnants of a humanity that refuses to disappear.
RELEVANT INFORMATION: Ana Paula Maia is a Brazilian writer, screenwriter, and musician. Her work includes screenplays, theatrical monologues, and novels. She has been awarded the Cercador Prize and the PEN Translates Award and was longlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize. She has also been recognized by The Guardian and Foyles as one of the best translated books into English of 2023.
She has received the Prêmio São Paulo de Literatura for best book of the year. Her works have been translated into German, Croatian, Spanish, English, and Italian.
Búfalos Salvajes offers particularly strong material for audiovisual adaptation, with a distinct identity that blends rural noir with supernatural horror. The abandoned slaughterhouse, the traveling circus, and landscapes scarred by the epidemic create a powerful and singular visual imagery with strong on-screen impact.
The combination of crime, mystery, and supernatural elements results in a tense and highly cinematic plot, sustained by a small cast of characters and recognizable settings. It is a story easily adaptable to different contexts.
AUDIOVISUAL POTENTIAL: TV Series, Miniseries, Feature Film, TV Movie.
AVAILABLE LANGUAGES: Spanish, Portuguese.
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