Her first short film, Undertow Eyes (2009), portrays her grandparents' recollections and stories in a personal and existential tale about love and death.

The film was called "a cinematic dream" by the New York Times,[1] "haunting and unforgettable" by the Hollywood Reporter,[2] and a "masterful debut that takes nonfiction where it seldom wants to go – away from the comforting embrace of fact and into a realm of expressionistic possibility" by Indiewire.

She is the daughter of left-wing political activists who opposed the Brazilian military dictatorship and the granddaughter of Gabriel Donato de Andrade, one of the co-founders of Andrade Gutierrez, one of the country's major construction companies;[4] directly involved in the corruption and bribery scandal that hit the country in 2015, leading to the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff.

As an offshoot of the documentary's success, a series of debates toured cultural and educational centers discussing the issues of suicide and mental health.

[2] Indiewire claimed it was a "masterful debut [that] takes nonfiction where it seldom wants to go – away from the comforting embrace of fact and into a realm of expressionistic possibility".

Olivia's desire for freedom and professional success, the limits imposed by her own body, and her image as a person are just some of the themes the film explores.

At one of the film's first screenings in Brazil, Petra Costa defended women's right to autonomy over their bodies and the decriminalization of abortion, and her comments stirred up quite a controversy.

In order to dialogue with the criticism, she received, Petra created the "My Body, My Rules" social media campaign, which was seen by 13 million viewers on Facebook and YouTube.

With ample access to presidents Lula, Dilma and Bolsonaro, the director also revisited her own family history in an attempt to understand the schismatic state her country had fallen into.