Arne Sucksdorff was a Swedish director and documentary maker. Best known for his lyrical depictions of nature, he became the first of his countrymen to win an Oscar at the Academy Awards in Hollywood.

Sucksdorff, however, had higher ambitions than that. In 1961 he wrote and directed his first feature film. "The Boy in the Tree" was about a teenager's revolt against the adult world. Unfortunately, Sucksdorff was more skilled as a chronicler of nature than as a playwright. He never managed to tell a story that interested a large cinema audience. So, after the film became a failure at the box office, Sucksdorff realized that his career in Sweden was pretty much over. Disappointed and destitute, he emigrated to Brazil, where he stayed for over 20 years.

But then something unexpected happened. Arne Sucksdorff managed to rustle up enough money to make another film during his time in exile. And "My Home is Copacabana" became a far bigger success than any of his earlier movies. Show business is strange.