Monica e a Sereia do Rio
Monica e a Sereia do Rio is a 1987 Brazilian animated film directed by Mauricio de Sousa and Walter Hugo Khouri. It is the fourth movie based on the Monica and Friends comics and uses four separate stories connected by Monica entering another world. Singer Tetê Espíndola appears in live-action scenes with the animated characters.
The film’s four stories are told as Monica discovers a fairy who changes shape as the stories unfold. In "A Gruta do Diabo," Jimmy Five and Smudge explore a cave and learn about the punishments of hell. The fairy then becomes a jaguar and leads to "O Jacaré de Estimação," about a young alligator that ends up in Jimmy Five’s room. The fairy returns as a macaw for "O Tocador de Sinos," which features a church sexton with hidden musical talent. The final tale, "A Sereia do Rio," has Tetê Espíndola as a mermaid singing the theme song, and Monica defending a real mermaid from exploitation.
Scenes were shot at the Rio Quente lodge in Goiás. Mauricio de Sousa wanted a musical feel for the film and chose Tetê Espíndola to front the project. The live-action portions, about 13 minutes, were directed by Khouri, who usually makes more adult-oriented films. The screenplay was written by Mário Mattoso Neto and Arnaldo Galvão.
Monica e a Sereia do Rio premiered in ten Brazilian cities on February 7, 1987, and runs about 60 minutes. It was later released on VHS at least twice. Critics gave mixed reviews: some praised it as entertaining for children, while others criticized aspects of the production, such as acting, technical quality, and costumes. The film was shown at the Gramado and Brasília film festivals, and its behind-the-scenes material was turned into a Monica Magazine comic strip.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:27 (CET).