Willem Dafoe onboards new film 'Cuddle' directed by Berbara Paz

IANS May 18, 2025 246 views

Hollywood star Willem Dafoe is set to headline 'Cuddle', a poignant drama directed by Barbara Paz in her fiction feature debut. The film explores the profound human need for connection through Dafoe's character Dante, a professional cuddler struggling with loneliness and personal challenges. Their collaboration stems from previous work together, including the documentary about Paz's late husband, filmmaker Hector Babenco. The project promises to be an emotionally rich exploration of human touch in our increasingly isolated world.

"Beyond an exploration of loneliness, the need for human touch and conquering challenges, this story captures the zeitgeist of our times" - Willem Dafoe
Los Angeles, May 17: Hollywood actor Willem Dafoe is reuniting with Brazil's Barbara Paz in the near-future drama, 'Cuddle'. The film marks Paz's fiction feature debut.

Key Points

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Willem Dafoe reunites with Barbara Paz in her fiction feature debut

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Plays Dante, a professional cuddler seeking human connection

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Project backed by Oscar-winning Brazilian production companies

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Explores emotional intimacy in a transactional world

Dafoe was an associate producer of the documentary 'Babenco: Tell Me When I Die', which Paz directed as an ode to her late husband, Argentine-Brazilian filmmaker Hector Babenco, reports 'Variety'.

The film also represented Brazil at the 93rd Academy Awards. Dafoe's ties to Paz and Babenco began with 'My Hindu Friend', Babenco's semi-autobiographical 2015 swan song, in which Dafoe portrayed a dying filmmaker closely modeled after Babenco himself and Paz played a small but pivotal role.

As per 'Variety', in 'Cuddle', Dafoe plays Dante, a professional cuddler who offers platonic comfort to strangers craving connection.

His clients range from the overwhelmed to the emotionally fragile, people searching for human touch in a world where affection has become rare and transactional. Behind his calm exterior, Dante struggles with a painkiller habit and a lonely existence, softened only by the quiet company of his dog. But when a surprising encounter disrupts his routine, it opens the door to a fragile and unexpected kind of intimacy.

The actor said, "Beyond an exploration of loneliness, the need for human touch and conquering challenges, this story captures the zeitgeist of our times".

He added that he very much looked forward to working with Paz again. To add to the Oscar pedigree of the project, Brazil's Conspiracao, behind the recent Best International Feature Oscar winner 'I'm Still Here', joins Infinity Hill, producer of the Academy Award-nominated "Argentina, 1985," as co-producers alongside Paz's company, BP.

'Cuddle' marks the first time that Infinity Hill has collaborated with Conspiracao, but it's their second co-production with Brazil.

Reader Comments

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Priya K.
Interesting concept! In India, we're also seeing more discussions about mental health and loneliness, especially post-pandemic. A professional cuddler might sound unusual here, but the emotional need is universal. Looking forward to seeing how this film handles such a sensitive topic.
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Rahul S.
Willem Dafoe is such a versatile actor! From playing Green Goblin to this emotional role - what a range! The plot reminds me of how joint families in India naturally provide this human connection that's becoming rare in Western societies. Maybe we should appreciate our family bonds more.
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Ananya M.
The premise sounds beautiful but I hope they don't make it too depressing. We need more films that show hope in human connections. Also great to see Brazilian cinema getting global recognition - their storytelling is so rich and emotional! 🇧🇷❤️
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Vikram J.
While the concept is interesting, I wonder if this will translate well to Indian audiences. Physical touch is viewed very differently in our culture compared to the West. Might be too unconventional for mainstream acceptance here. But kudos for trying something new!
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Sneha P.
The director's personal connection with Dafoe through 'My Hindu Friend' adds such depth to this collaboration. Art imitating life always makes for powerful cinema. Hope this gets a good OTT release in India - would love to watch it with subtitles!

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Tags:
Willem Dafoe Barbara Paz Cuddle Movie Brazilian Cinema Independent Film Hector Babenco