LHT HIGGS Produções Audiovisuais LTDA, doing business asàBrasil Paralelo, is a Brazilian media company headquartered in Porto Alegre. It produces documentariesàoffering alternativeàviewpoints onàpolitics,àhistoryàand current events.àIts content is distributed primarily through its own subscriptionâÂÂbased streaming platform, BPâ¯Select, and its YouTube channel.
Founded in 2016 as an alternative to mainstream media, its name, which translates to "Parallel Brazil," reflects its stated mission to connect audiences with a reality it portrays as suppressed by mainstream journalists and intellectuals.
Brasil Paralelo's work has been associated with the Brazilian right in the past, although it shifted its focus to general programming in 2021. Some of its productions have faced criticism for presenting a different view of historical events. Brasil Paralelo considers its content apolitical and free of ideological bias.
Brasil Paralelo was founded in Porto Alegre in 2016 by Lucas Ferrugem, Henrique Viana, and Felipe Valerimàamid a growing conservative movement in Brazil, with Valerim citing the 2014 reelection of Dilma Rousseff as a catalyst for what he described as an "awakening of political conscience." The name "Brasil Paralelo" was chosen to reflect a mission of operating independently from the state, inspired by the concept that "two parallel lines never meet." The company's logo, a black hole, is a reference to the film Interstellar (2014) and symbolizes the idea of connecting with a "parallel reality" of information outside of what it describes as a leftâÂÂleaning mainstream intellectual and journalistic consensus in Brazil.
It initially gained prominence through freeâÂÂtoâÂÂwatch documentaries; its first documentary series, Congresso Brasil Paralelo, which analyzed Brazil's political and economic landscape, was distributed for free, with associated content available for purchase. Its initial business model was centered on offering free documentaries and selling related supplementary material.
In AprilÃÂ 2017, Brasil Paralelo participated in the 30th edition of the Freedom Forum. At this event, its representatives exhibited, at the Unconference show, the entity's work in producing content and as an independent media alternative.
In Septemberà2019, Brasil Paralelo signed a contract with TV Escola, a stateâÂÂrun channel linked to the Ministry of Education, for the free broadcast of its series Brasil, a ÃÂltima Cruzada. The series began airing in Decemberà2019, which later became controversial.
In 2021, Brasil Paralelo transitioned into a streaming subscription service, expanding its offerings to include licensed films, series, and cartoons from major studios, with Sony Pictures being an early partner. The platform provides curated content for a conservative audience, with each film accompanied by an introductory analysis to frame its relevance. Later in the same year, Panflix, the onâÂÂdemand content platform of GrupoàJovemàPan, began showing series and documentaries produced by Brasil Paralelo. A survey by the AosàFatos agency in February of that year identified Brasil Paralelo's Telegram channel as the secondâÂÂlargest in Brazil, withà80,000 subscribers.
Its subscriber base grew from 15,000 in Decemberà2019 to over 112,100 by Septemberà2020. By 2022, Brasil Paralelo had surpassed 500,000 subscribers on its platform. On 21â¯Juneâ¯2022, the company released EntreàLobos, a documentary about urban violence, reporting that the production, which cost R$1àmillion, generated R$2.5àmillion in new subscriptions within four hours of its launch. For the full year, the company projected revenues exceeding R$100àmillion.
In 2021, Brasil Paralelo launched its streaming service, BPÃÂ Select. It operates on a business model that incorporates elements of a "mediatech" approach, such as focusing on a specific niche audience and using technology to analyze user behavior for subscriber acquisition and retention. BPÃÂ Select is considered the Netflix of Brazil.
The service's initial catalog included licensed Hollywood titles and its own productions. The library featured films from the 2010s, such as CaptainàPhillips (2013) and Whiplash (2014), alongside classic cinema titles including LawrenceàofàArabia (1962), AàMan for All Seasons (1966), Taxi Driver (1976), and Ghostbusters (1984). It also included original programming such as Contraponto, an interview program hosted by BrunoàMagalhães focusing on social issues, and Conversa Paralela, a guestâÂÂbased talk show with hosts ArthuràMorisson and LaraàBrenner, which is described as having a format similar to American conservative podcasts. Other daily additions consist of InsightàBP, a program centered on personal development; RedàPill, a podcast dedicated to cinema; and RastaàNews, a comedic weekly news review hosted by JoãoàNogueira.
Its urbanâÂÂviolence film EntreàLobos, released on BPàSelect, generated R$2.5àmillion in new subscriptions in its first four hours online and was credited to BPâÂÂs âÂÂambitious production valuesâ and "dataâÂÂdriven" productions.
By earlyà2017, Brasil Paralelo had amassed over fiveâ¯thousand subscribers and, according to a report in OàEstadoàdeàS.àPaulo that was later disputed by the founders, had earned more than R$1.5àmillion in its first six months. Brasil Paralelo maintains that its revenue is generated from subscriptions for exclusive content and courses, having previously also monetized its free documentaries on YouTube.
Brasil Paralelo states that it is a nonâÂÂpartisan entity funded entirely by subscriptions from its members, who receive access to exclusive content.
Brasil Paralelo produces documentary series focused on politics, history, and culture from a conservative perspective. Its inaugural series, Congresso Brasil Paralelo, featured video testimonials from Olavo de Carvalho, Jair Bolsonaro, JanainaàPaschoal, and LuizàFelipeàPondé. This was followed by the eightâÂÂepisode series Brasil: A ÃÂltima Cruzada (2017), which presented the nation's history with an epic narrative and dramatizations. The series was later cited in an academic study as a key vehicle for popularizing conservative interpretations of history in Brazil.
In 2019, BrasilàParalelo released a featureâÂÂlength documentary 1964: O Brasil entre Armas e Livros, which examines the 1964 Brazilian coup d'état, gained large online following. Released simultaneously in cinemas and on YouTube, it garnered nearly nine million views by 2021. It also became a major point of controversy. Its theatrical run was canceled by the Cinemark cinema chain following public protests that it relativized state repression and torture during the military dictatorship. Historian JoãoàCezaràdeàCastroàRocha commented that while the film "explicitly condemns torture," its premise also "favors the explanation of complex processes through conspiracy theories" and reinforces JairàBolsonaro's political narrative.
Other productions include Teatro das Tesouras (2018), which examined Brazilian presidential elections after the military dictatorship, and Pátria Educadora, a trilogy that criticized the national education system and the work of influential educator Paulo Freire.
In 2020, BrasilàParalelo released OsàDonosàdaàVerdade (The Owners of Truth), defending former Education Minister AbrahamàWeintraub, and 7 denúncias: as consequências do caso COVIDâÂÂ19 (7àDenunciations: The Consequences of the COVIDâÂÂ19 Case), which was critical of social distancing measures. In the same year, it released AàSétima Arte, a fiveâÂÂpart series on the language of cinema that later became a popular title on its BPàSelect streaming service and led to classicâÂÂfilm licensing deals. Two years later, GuerraàdoàImaginário (2022) explored the intersection of myth, faith, and literature through the works of authors like G.àK.àChesterton, C.àS.àLewis, and J.àR.àR.àTolkien, earning praise from the CorreioàBraziliense for its scholarly and artistic interviews. That same year, the investigative documentary Varig: AàCaixaâÂÂPretaàdoàBrasil (2022) revived public discussion about the airline Varig's collapse and received positive review for its economic analysis. Also in 2022, BrasilàParalelo premiered another TeatroàdasàTesouras. The production analyzes what it characterizes as the theoretical political antagonism between the PT and the PSDB parties, focusing on the period of their political dominance which began in 1994 and saw them alternate in the presidency for six consecutive elections.
The 2023 trilogy AÃÂ DireitaÃÂ noÃÂ Brasil charted the rise of the modern conservative movement in the country from 2013 to 2022 and was noted by FolhaÃÂ deÃÂ S.Paulo for its diverse range of interview subjects.
MST: TerraÃÂ Prometida (2025) provided what the producers described as an unprecedented look at the Landless Workers' Movement. It was praised by GazetaÃÂ doÃÂ Povo for its technical quality and the breadth of its sources.
BrasilàParalelo has also ventured into original fiction. Its first feature film, AàOficinaàdoàDiabo (The Devil's Workshop), an adaptation of C.àS.àLewis's TheàScrewtapeàLetters, was directed by one of the company's founding partners, FilipeàValerim. RevistaàOeste lauded the film for being âÂÂtotally financed by its subscriber baseâ and for tackling spiritual themes rarely covered by Brazilian cinema.
Brasilâ¯Paralelo has received both positive and negative reception to its work.
Its sixâÂÂpart series, Brazil â A ÃÂltima Cruzada (2017) was praised by Gazeta do Povo, columnist Erickâ¯Silva who called the series âÂÂaesthetically brilliantâ and âÂÂthe most important audiovisual work,â praising above all its recovery of overlooked figures such as JoséàBonifácio and Princessâ¯Isabel. Another Gazeta writer, philosopher Pauloâ¯Cruz, confessed that the fifth episode left him âÂÂin tears,â deeming the production âÂÂbeautifulâ and crediting it with âÂÂrenewing our love for the fatherlandâ after surpassing 1.5â¯million viewers in its first months online. When a 4âÂÂK remaster was launched for the 200th anniversary of Independence, RevistaàOeste emphasised the âÂÂvalorisation of Brazilian history and its remarkable personalitiesâ and highlighted the addition of new animation sequences and upgraded cinematography.
Its 2019 documentary 1964: O Brasil entre Armas e Livros became a major point of controversy. Its theatrical run was canceled by the Cinemark cinema chain following public protests that it relativized state repression and torture during the military dictatorship. Writing in Gazeta do Povo, economist Rodrigo Constantino described the film as âÂÂserious and honest,â arguing that, once viewers attended the premières in ten cities and pushed the free YouTube cut to 4.4â¯million views in fortyâÂÂeight hours, âÂÂit became impossible to deny the workâÂÂs attachment to the facts.â Even amid the dispute with the Cinemark chain, Gazeta do Povo noted that company coâÂÂfounder Lucasâ¯Ferrugem defended the filmâÂÂs âÂÂhighest commitment to historical factâ and emphasized the breadth of bibliographic and interview material assembled to treat such a âÂÂsensitive period.â In a full review for the specialist site CinemaàcomàRapadura, critic JoãoàVictoràBarros stressed that Brasil ParaleloâÂÂs productions are âÂÂundeniably wellâÂÂmade and technically competentâ and applauded the documentary for offering âÂÂat least a deeper lookâ at the military period than is usual in mainstream historiography. Historian JoãoàCezaràdeàCastroàRocha commented that while the film "explicitly condemns torture," its premise also "favors the explanation of complex processes through conspiracy theories" and reinforces JairàBolsonaro's political narrative.
Environmental title Cortina de Fumaça in 2021 received a warm welcome from RevistaàOeste, which highlighted what it called the documentaryâÂÂs âÂÂimpeccable production quality,â its 1.8â¯million YouTube views within months of release, and its counterâÂÂargument that Brazilian agribusiness can be part of the global environmental solution.
When the threeâÂÂpart trueâÂÂcrime investigation EntreàLobos debuted in Juneâ¯2022, Gazeta do Povo described the series as a rare attempt to âÂÂdiscover the causes of crimeâ rather than merely lament its consequences, praising the breadth of the 50 interviewees and the filmmakersâ confidence that âÂÂthere is a way outâ of endemic violence. Columnist FranciscoàEscorsim went further, recommending the documentary for âÂÂlaying bareâ the reality of organised crime and arguing that its data make continued complacency âÂÂimpossibleâÂÂ.
Early in 2024 Gazeta do Povo attended a press screening of História do Comunismo and judged the sixâÂÂepisode series âÂÂthe best product the streaming service has delivered to date.â The review highlighted a reported R$â¯1â¯million selfâÂÂfinanced budget, NetflixâÂÂlevel digital reâÂÂenactments and a choice of interviewees ranging from SimonàSebagàMontefiore to AnthonyàSaich, concluding that the result finally offered Brazilian viewers a âÂÂcoherent historyâ of an ideology that earlier documentaries had treated only in partisan fashion. Six months later, its 2024 twoâÂÂpart documentary on universities Unitopia was described by Gazeta do Povo as âÂÂthe principal Brazilian audiovisual work to tackle the current academic crisis,â praising its depth of sources and arguing that it âÂÂshould serve as a reference for future debatesâÂÂ. Octoberâ¯2024 brought FromàtheàRiveràtoàtheàSea, which Gazeta do Povo called âÂÂone of the most comprehensiveâ Brazilian treatments of the Gaza war.
Its work has come under criticism from some historians and academics who accuse it of promoting historical negationism, conspiracy theories, and antiâÂÂintellectual positions. Critics have associated it with figures such as OlavoàdeàCarvalho and Bolsonaro. During the 2018 Brazilian presidential election, factâÂÂchecking initiatives from Estadão and OàGlobo identified Brasil Paralelo for disseminating false claims about electoral fraud. The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) rejected one videoâÂÂs assertion of a 73.14â¯% fraud probability, while another widely viewed video incorrectly applied Benford's law to allege irregularities in the 2014 election. A Brasil Paralelo series aired on stateâÂÂrun TVàEscola drew formal criticism from academics at the University of SãoàPaulo (USP) and the SãoàPaulo chapter of the National History Association (ANPUHâÂÂSP), who labeled it "ideological propaganda" containing inaccurate historical portrayals. Other publications, such as LeàMondeàDiplomatiqueàBrasil, classified it as farâÂÂright on the political spectrum.
Under the Bolsonaro administration, Brasilâ¯Paralelo was associated with Bolsonarism, though its founders emphasized that its establishment predates JairàBolsonaro's political rise. BolsonaroâÂÂs son, EduardoàBolsonaro, actively promoted Brasilâ¯Paralelo content on social media. AgênciaàPública described it as part of a proâÂÂBolsonaro alternative media ecosystem, and filmmaker EduardoàEscorel termed one production "didactic political propaganda." Amid the COVIDâÂÂ19 pandemic, Brasil Paralelo released content aligning with government narratives criticizing social distancing measures, prompting FolhaàdeàS.Paulo to label it part of the president's "digital shock troop." O Estado de S.â¯Paulo later nicknamed it the "Netflix of Bolsonaristas." Brasilâ¯Paralelo denies these criticisms, stating it criticizes all political sides and features diverse perspectives, including interviews with leftâÂÂwing figures. CoâÂÂfounder Lucasâ¯Ferrugem explicitly denies official ties to Bolsonaro's government but admits personal agreement with some policies. In 2019, it won a right of reply in a lawsuit against the newspaper OàGlobo.
Following the change of administration in Brazil, Brasilâ¯Paralelo distanced itself from Bolsonarism and repositioned itself as a generalâÂÂinterest media platform. In its 2023 trilogy A Direita no Brasil analyzed the rise of the Brazilian right and âÂÂdid not spare criticismâ of former president Bolsonaro. FolhaàdeàS.Paulo noted the series was technically wellâÂÂproduced and viewed this willingness to critique an erstwhile ally as a sign of the companyâÂÂs editorial independence.
With Oficina do Diabo (Januaryâ¯2025) Brasilâ¯Paralelo moved into fiction and again found allies. RevistaàOeste welcomed the release for prompting viewers to âÂÂreflect on the invisible snares the devil sets to draw people from the Christian faith,â while a cultureâÂÂpage report in Gazeta do Povo said the storyâÂÂs moral questions showed âÂÂthe company may have a future in drama as long as it plays its cards rightâÂÂ.