IV Brazilian Film Festival is coming!This year, the Embassy of Brazil works with Broadway Cinematheque to bring a selection of some of the best Brazilian films to Chinese audiences. The IV Brazilian Film Festival opened firstly in Shanghai, on September 10th, 2021 and gained a great popularity among the Shanghai audience. In October, the festival will arrive in Shenzhen and Guangzhou with 8 brilliant productions.Showing the diversity of Brazil to the Chinese audience is the main goal of the 2021 edition of the Brazilian Film Festival in China. The curators Adriana Dutra and Cláudia Dutra looked at the diversity of the Brazilian culture and landscapes to propose films with different topics, genres, and filmmaking languages produced by high quality professionals in different provinces of the country.The opening film, “Through Ernesto’s Eyes” (2019), is the winner of the critics' award in São Paulo International Film Festival and was nominated to other important international festivals. The film tells the story of Ernesto, a seventy-eight-year-old Uruguayan photographer living in the South of Brazil who faces the limitations of old age, such as loneliness and growing blindness. When Bia, a careless dog sitter, storms into his life, he realizes that aging can be about rejuvenating and that life and love are possible even for those who are almost eighty.
This year, the Brazilian Film Festival will also include documentaries. The curators selected two of the best productions in this category, both of them related to music, one of the main elements of the Brazilian culture. On one hand, “Amazon Groove”(2018) shows the beauty of the Amazonian Region and the richness of the traditions and rhythms of its local inhabitants. On the other hand, “Dom Salvador & Abolition” (2020) tells the story of the origins of the Brazilian Funk in Rio de Janeiro through the eyes of one his founders, the musician Dom Salvador, who also played with the most important names of Bossa Nova.Films, such as “Three Summers”(2019) and “Corral”(2020), show, in different ways, how corruption ends up eroding not only the political representation system, but also family and friendship relationships. “Three Summers” is a comedy and tells the story of how a caretaker for a luxury compound in Rio de Janeiro relies on her resourcefulness and her eye for opportunity to take advantage of whatever comes her way as her employers are caught in major corruption scandals. “Corral” on its turn, is a political drama set in the rural Brazilian city of Gravatá. During the mayoral elections, the population is divided between two political oligarchies fighting each other for power. But as the campaign progresses, Chico Caixa, a political counselor andfriend of an alternative candidate, soon realizes that breaking apart from the established political game is not always as easy as it may seem.“Maria do Caritó”(2020) tells the story of Maria, a middle age women who is desperate to find a husband and ends up discovering the beauty of being in charge of her own life.Please find a list of films and some interesting reviews from Shanghai audience:Through Ernesto’s Eyes (2019)Director: Ana Luiza AzevedoCast: Jorge Bolani / Gabriela Poester/ Julio AndradeStoryline: Ernesto has been facing thelimitations of old age, such as loneliness and growing blindness, which hethinks he can disguise from everyone, until Bia appears, a careless dogcare taker who runs over his life and puts his methodical daily life at risk.Ernesto then realizes that growing old can be rejuvenating."The embrace of an old and young soul.""Elegant and comfortable movie, like a smooth rhyming poem, a dance song that the body can sway with."
"Lovely and warm and touching, with great interludes."
"Movies about aging and loneliness are always depressing, but this one is vivid and witty, not lacking in philosophy. It is all sophisticate, just like the old man's attitude towards everything. "
Director: MarceloBrennandCast: Thomás Aquino /Rodrigo Garcia / Carla SalleStoryline: ChicoCaixa is a former city employee. He lost his job trying to take water supplies to a poor neighborhood, abandoned for political reasons. Caixa is invited by a childhood partner, Joel, to work on his councilor campaign. Joel presents himself as an alternative to the old candidates, who have been in power for decades. But as the campaign progresses, Chico Caixa soon realizes that breaking apart from the established political game is not always an easy alternative."The narrow scenery, the hand-held shots all highlight the protagonist's sense of bondage, and the aural effects of drowning are done better than the visual effects""The movie is a reflection of reality, through a politically relevant movie, I got some insight into the natural environment, the gap between rich and poor, the living conditions of the poor, and political corruption in Brazil"Cast: Regina Casé/ Rogério Fróes / Otavio MüllerStoryline: Everysummer, between Christmas and New Year, the couple Edgar and Marta welcome friends and family in their spectacular mansion by the sea. Everything seems tobe going well, but in 2016 the same party is cancelled. What happens to those who gravitate towards the rich and powerful when their lives fall apart?"Christmas in short sleeves and shorts""I love the working style and the personality of the main character"
"Bittersweet yet makes you smile"
Storyline: Crossing the Amazon region of Pará, the film reveals artists and musical traditions that pulsate in a little-known region, extending the view of Brazil and the world to a musical tradition that has so much to reveal to us."Brazilian version of Buena Vista Social Club, it worths 5 stars with music alone""Playing music in the mountains was fantastic""Not only the music, but also an exploration and experience of man and nature, faith, mysticism and Amazonian culture."
"The long shot at the beginning of the film is really cinema worthy, from the flowing water and birdsong, the song that gradually rings out and goes away, human beings are like the tributaries of a big river."
Director: João Paulo JaburStoryline: Tired of the lonely life sheleads, Maria (Lilia Cabral) dreams of finding true love. Promised by her fatherto be delivered virgin to saint Djalminha, a Saint who nobody's ever heard of,only a miracle could help her. Maria is willing to do whatever it takes to find“Mr Right”."The Film Festival is amazing! it brings out the dystopia of reality to life.""Escape from that town, the woman has great world ahead"
"It was a joy the whole time to watch the film , really wanna go to South America to feel that energy and flavor"
Dom Salvador and Abolition (2020)Director: Lilka Hara and Artur RattonStoryline: One of the architects of bossa nova in Brazil and a busy studio session musician and abranger, during the 60’s, Salvador played with the country’s best, the man who is credited to bethe pioneer of many musical styles, a name in more than a thousand records andthe leader of the seminal band abolition, after recording only one album , Salvador Abandons apromising and successful journey with the band to pursue his passion for jazz,moving to New York in the earlys of 70’."I was almost dancing in the seat while watching the film, immediately picks a bunch of albums to listen up back home, I want to go to Brazil and want to go to the jazz bars in New York."
"The music is wonderful and I see history, politics and life behind the music"
Director：Marco Dutra ／Caetano GotardoCast：Mawusi Tulani／Clarissa Kiste／Carolina Bianchi ／Thaia PerezStoryline: In Brazil, 1899, shortly after the abolition of slavery, the ghosts of the past still walk among the living. For the women of the Soares family, the task of giving up their privilege and adapting to a middle-class reality drives them to the brink of madness. For Iná Nascimento, a former enslaved woman, the struggle to reunite her loved ones in a hostile new world forces her to face the truth about herself. Between Brazil's troubled past and fractured present, these women feel the ground shifting beneath their feet as they try to create a future of their own."The film traces the interplay between the colonial culture and the African civilization of the slaves, and how they tends to 'fuse', the Brazilian film with the magical sense of South American cinema.""Latin American directors are very unique in their thinking, which gives their films a unique look and feel, and this is the Brazilian version of "Transit".
"An indelible fable about race."
Cast: Fabricio Boliveira/ Bárbara ColenStoryline:BURNING NIGHT tells the story of Paulo(40), an unemployed and recently divorced man who has just started driving a cab in the nights of Rio de Janeiro. Looking for a way to pay for his bills andfor the child support of his only son Mateus (07). As Paulo learns the choreography of the new profession, anapparent provisional solution solidifies as present moment, and fragments ofstories exchanged with passengers intertwine with the narrative of his ownlife. Karina, a public hospital nurse, comes up as a representation of a possible future. Even though, just like her each passenger has a different destination, in the end it’s always Paulo the one steering the wheel, weaving abroader tale about living in a country in political, economic and social convulsion."Lots of close-ups and handheld shots.""Through the perspective of a cab driver, I got to experience a bit of the Rio night crowd and some insight into the local standard of living""It was also an experience to see the riot of Botafogo fans on the outskirts of the Maracana stadium. "How many screens can Brazil fit on?Brazil is a big country and, such as China, we have continental dimensions. The Brazilian territorial immensity is the driver of our culture diversity. Our cuisine, our life styles, the music we listen to, the way we communicate and the traditions we experience vary a lot from North to South and East to West. This diversity of cultures is our greatest wealth and transforms Brazil into a very unique place.The diversity of Brazil was our inspiration to propose a selection of films with distinct cinematographic languages and genres produced in almost all of regions of the country. It is difficult to fit every corner of Brazil on a single screen, but we managed to bring a few of them to our Chinese friends. We hope you enjoy it!Adriana L. Dutra and Cláudia Dutra are founders of Inffinito inBrazil and the Inffinito Foundation in the United States, responsible for creation and production of 85 editions of Inffinito Festivals Circuit, comprised of Brazilian Film Festivals in 12 cities all over the World: Miami,New York, London, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, Buenos Aires, Vancouver, Montevidéu,Bogotá, Frascati e Canudos.Adriana L. Dutra is a documentary filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, and curator. Amongmany films, she directed Society of Fear; and Transtime; She is the curator and director of Mulheres + Festival. As a director of the production company Inffinito. She also acted as Director of the Forum of Festivals and as a Jury for the Netflix Prize, Rio Festival, and the Mato Grosso Film Festival. She was part of the Goya Award Selection Committee, and the Brasília Film Festival, among others.Cláudia Dutra is one of the creators and responsible for conducting and producing important cultural events such as the Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival, Cine Pedal Brasil, Vienna, City of Dreams, 15XAustria, Cine Verão do Rio, Cinema da Gente, Cine Itinerante, Conexão samba,among many others. In the audiovisual sector, she is a producer and also signsthe executive production of several series and films such as; Smoking I Wait,Transtime, America Option, Deu Verde, Sounds Brasilis, Transgente, Quero BotarMeu Bloco na Rua, among others.She was a jury member at the São Pauloand Goiânia short film festivals, and received an award for her work at the Recife-CINE PE and São Luís do Maranhão Festivals. In 2018, she founded the Women Mix platform, where she works as a director, presenter and content creator.Film Calender in Shenzhen
Broadway Cinematheque Shenzhen
深圳市南山区粤海街道华润万象天地L5层SL562号店铺
No. 562, 5th Floor, MIXC WORLD, No. 9668 Shennan Boulevard, Nanshan District, Shenzhen
Film Calender in Guangzhou广州百丽宫影城·猎德igc店
PALACE CINEMA Guangzhou（Lie De igc Branch）
广州市天河区珠江新城兴民路222号天汇广场igc四楼416铺
No.416,4th Floor, International Grand City, No.222 Xing Min Road, Zhu Jiang New Town, TianHe District, Guangzhou
Taopiaopiao, Maoyan or Broadway APPPlease scan the QR code belowto purchase your ticket conveniently.The IV Brazilian Film Festival in China will extend to more regions in the following months. Please stay tuned about new releases in the Embassy’s official account in Wechat and Weibo.See you in Shenzhen and Guangzhou! More infomation
片单 | 巴西电影展带你看到不一样的巴西
开幕片 | 如果每个小时都会有死亡来临，那又为何歌唱？