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A documentary focused on the life and music of Brazilian composer Joao MacDowell Joao Macdowell, from his early career in Brasilia until performances of his first opera Tamanduá in 2009. The story is narrated in first person and complemented by interviews with important personalities from the heyday of the Brazilian capitals cultural scene. The film portrays a path that starts with a dream and draws the arc of a career spanning from experimental, electronic based, music to the maturity of serious classic composition. Its spoken in Portuguese and subtitled in English. Varied footage from concerts and music videos, as well as photos and scenes from the Brazilian opera Tamanduá (The Anteater) illustrate the documentary. There is an underlying thread that reinforces the importance of personal effort, musical literacy and support for serious musical education in school systems. Joao Macdowell was an important character in Brasilia's exciting music scene of the 80s, a time when the daring artists of the new capital challenged the cultural monopoly of both of Brazils biggest metropolises: Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. His first band, Tonton Macoute, changed paradigms in Brazilian music forever. Their signature sound dispensed with the regular drum set and pioneered the fusion of electronics with native rhythms and ambient sounds. After that, the artist developed a career as music producer and soundtrack composer, releasing four solo albums of popular music before launching his more recent works in contemporary classical music. The film "I Seem to Exist" explores this story in detail, exposing the context in which the musical art of Joao Macdowell came into being. The overwhelming influence of the modern architecture of the new capital and the excitement of the first generation of artists in Brasilia all come to play a part in the documentary. Its a story that registers the strong will of unusual teenagers who would not accept being mere consumers and decided to create their own art.

P. is a sad, lonely man. Through the window of a city bus, he observes the scarce night traffic until a beautiful woman passes by him in the vehicle's corridor. Her name is Emma. They exchange glances. From then on, something changes in P.