2nd Brazilian Film Festival of London 1st-5th Sept
31 August, 2010The 2nd Brazilian Film Festival of London, organised by Inffinito, will be starting on Wednesday 1st September with Lula, The Son of Brazil and we couldn’t be anymore excited.
We’ve been busy watching the films in preparation and have reviewed a number of them. Here is the programme for the festival including links to all the reviews we’ve done.
The programme for the festival is as follows:
Wed 1st September – Opening Night
6.30 PM – LULA, THE SON OF BRASIL (12) + Q&A with Lucy Barreto and Paula Barreto
(Lula, O Filho do Brasil) UK Premiere
Brazil 2009 Dir. Fábio Barreto 128min
Based on the book of the same name by Denise Paraná, Lula, the Son of Brazil tells the story of a common man, his family and his extraordinary ability to rise above hardship. The film narrates the path of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from his birth in 1945 through the year 1980 which marked two significant events in his life: his first election as official leader and representative of the people and the death of a person who was extremely influential in Lula’s life and ways of thinking: Dona Lindu, who in raising eight children on her own, reminded them constantly that “no one in this family will ever become a criminal or a prostitute.” And dignity prevailed.
Our review is here.
Tickets:
Standard – £12
Concession – £10
Buy tickets
Ticket Web: 08444 771 000
195 Piccadilly London W1J 9LN
Before the festival resumes at the Apollo Piccadilly there will be a talk between some of the leading names of the Brazilian and UK film industry at The Princess Anne Theatre (part of BAFTA). This will be on Thursday 2nd September. For more details of this please see our article here.
These films will all be shown at Apollo Piccadilly between 2nd and 5th September
Thu 2nd September
6PM – THE WELL BELOVED ONE (12)
(O Bem Amado) UK Premiere
Brazil 2010 Dir. Guel Arraes 107min
Based on the literary work of Dias Gomes, O Bem Amado tells the story of the mayor of Sucupira, Odorico Paraguaçu, whose has as the main aim of his administration the opening of a cemetery. On one side he has the support of the Cajazeiras sisters, on the other, he comes up against strong opposition led by Neco Pedreira, owner of the local newspaper.
8.30PM – TIME OF PEACE (16)
(Tempos de Paz) UK Premiere
Brazil 2009 Dir. Daniel Filho 82min
The entire story takes place on the 18th of April in the year of 1945. Battles had ceased in Europe, but Brazil still found itself technically at war. The encounter takes place in the immigration office of the port of Rio de Janeiro: between the interrogator, a customs official and former-torturer for the Political Police of President Vargas and a Polish ex-actor, who had lived through the horrors of war, but who is suspected of being a Nazi fugitive. The film portrays a critical period in Brazilian history and speaks of Manichaeism and the fight for life.
Our review is here.
Fri 3rd September
6PM – SO NORMAL 2 (14)
(Os Normais 2) UK Premiere
Brazil 2009 Dir. José Alvarenga Jr. 75 min
It’s a mistake to think that Rui and Vani’s saga had come to an end. Luiz Fernando Guimarães and Fernanda Torres bring back their outstanding characters from Os Normais. Just like in TV Globo’s series and the first feature film, laughs are guaranteed, when the couple decides to spice up their relationship and go looking
for someone to join them in their adventure.
8.30PM – TIME OF FEAR (16)
(Salve Geral) UK Premiere
Brazil 2009 Dir. Sérgio Rezende 119 min
Lucia, a recently widowed piano teacher is shocked to find that her only son Rafa has committed murder. Desperate to free him from prison, she becomes involved with the criminal organization responsible for a series of acts that will eventually turn the biggest metropolis in the country into a living hell.
Sat 4th September
3.30PM – TAMBORO (12)
(Tamboro) UK Premiere
Brazil 2009 Dir. Sergio Bernardes 100 min
Exposing deforestation in the Amazon, the conflicts over land rights in the countryside, and the growing shantytowns and increasing criminality in huge urban centres, Tamboro tackles the major socio-environmental issues of Brazil. Creating a panorama of Brazilian civilization through amazing imagery, this film roves around the country, painting a colourful mural of Brazil, from the northern peak of Mount Roraima to the southern valleys of Aparados da Serra.
Our review is here
6PM – LOVE STORIES ONLY LAST 90 MINUTES (14)
(Historias de Amor duram apenas) UK Premiere
Brazil 2010 Dir. Paulo Halm 90 min
Zeca is a young writer immersed in a novel he’s incapable of writing. He lives an idle life. He is 30 years old, but behaves like a teenager. He is talented yet lacks focus: he’ll write two sentences and then give up. He has a strained relationship with his wife Julia, as a result of their conflicting temperaments: Zeca lacks motivation, while Julia knows exactly what she wants. Zeca is unhappy, but doesn’t seem to care, until the day he starts to suspect that Julia is cheating on him and, much to his dismay, with another woman.
8.30PM – BLUE EYES (16)
(Olhos Azuis) UK Premiere
Brazil 2010 Dir. José Joffily 111 min
Marshall, chief immigration officer of New York’s JFK Airport, is facing compulsory retirement. On his last day of work, drunk and blinded by prejudice, he harasses a group of Latin American visitors, exposing them to a series of humiliating events that result in the death of a young Brazilian. Years later, after serving a lengthy prison term and filled with guilt, Marshall goes to Brazil in search of the victim’s daughter.
Our review is here.
Sun 5th September
3.30PM – RITA CADILLAC – THE LADY OF THE PEOPLE (18)
(Rita Cadillac – A Lady do Povo) UK Premiere
Brazil 2009 Dir. Toni Venturi 75 min
Queen of truck drivers and gold miners and godmother of prison inmates. A sex-symbol in the 80s, Rita Cadillac was the fantasy of a whole generation of Brazilian men and boys. Now as a middle-aged woman, she has starred in three adult films in order save up for her retirement. An intimate portrayal of the star and a deeper look into her private life.
You can read our review here.
6PM – ELVIS & MADONA (16)
(Elvis & Madona) UK Premiere
Brazil 2010 Dir. Marcelo Laffitte 100 min
Elvis & Madona is a romantic comedy that deals with an unusual subject in a delicate and realistic way: a love story between a young lesbian named Elvis and a transvestite called Madona. Set in Copacabana, one of Rio de Janeiro’s most well-known neighbourhoods, the screenplay includes a full array of character types and, in following both protagonists’ journey, illustrates conflicts generated through behaviour and custom. As a contemporary and agile film, its soundtrack echoes the latest musical trends. Nevertheless, it is essentially a love story, proving that love can exist in any situation.
8.30PM – THE STORY OF ME (12)
(O Contador de Historias) UK Premiere
Brazil 2009 Dir. Luiz Villaça 107 min
At six years old, Roberto Carlos Ramos is sent by his mother to an institution for poor children in Belo Horizonte. Endowed with a fertile imagination, at 13 he’s stil illiterate, having escaped more than 100 times he is diagnosed as irredeemable. An encounter with a French teacher will change Roberto’s life for ever.
Our review is here.
Tickets:
Standard – £10
Concessions – £8
Buy Tickets
Box Office: 0871 220 6000
19 Lower Regent Street London SW1Y 4LR
Additionally there are a number of films showing parallel at The Southbank Centre. The programme for these films is as follows:
Thurs 2nd Sept / 3pm
BEYOND IPANEMA – Brazilian Waves in Global Music (Ondas Brasileiras na Música Global)
Dir: Guto Barra
Documentary about the repeating cycle of discovery of Brazilian music in the world. Through interviews with David Byrne, Devendra Banhart, M.I.A., Mutantes, Tom Zé, Seu Jorge, Thievery Corporation, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and many others, the film surveys the Brazilian music experience outside of the country.
Thurs 2nd Sept / 7pm
DZI CROQUETTES
Dir: Tatiana Issa & Raphael Alvarez
Documentary about a Brazilian theatre group that through talent, irony and humor confronted the Brazilian violent dictatorship in the 1970s, revolutionising the gay movement worldwide and changing the language of theatre and dance for an entire generation.
Fri 3rd Sept / 3pm
MAMONAS FOREVER
Dir: Cláudio Kahns
The amazing story of five talented musicians, from the suburbs of São Paulo to the biggest success in the Brazilian music history. After five years playing dense rock music and performing seriously as Utopia band, chance knocked at the door. There was only one request – they had to reveal their extroverted selves, happy and irreverent. The Mamonas Assassinas were born. In only 10 months they turned the country upside down and rock music united families in song, dance, laughter and tears.
Fri 3rd Sept / 7pm
THE MAN WHO BOTTLED CLOUDS (O Homem Que Engarrafava Nuvens)
Dir: Lírio Ferreira
This music documentary chronicling the life and work of the composer, lawyer, politician and creator of copyright laws protecting Brazilian artists, Humberto Teixeira. Also known as ‘The Doctor of Baião’, he is celebrated for his popular classics – among them the ‘anthem of drought’ Asa Branca. The film accompanies his daughter, Denise Dummont, in a journey in search of knowledge about her father.
Sat 4th Sept / 3pm
Áurea (short film)
Dir: Zeca Ferreira
BORN TO DANCE (Nasci Para Bailar)
Dir: Tetê Moraes
Áurea is short film about the nightclub singer Áurea Martins, contrasting her life on stage, which is both her home and her prison, and the outside world. Born To Dance is a documentary about the encounter of two cultures – Brazil and Cuba. João Donato and a trio of Brazilian musicians visit Havana, where they play the International Jazz Festival with well-known Cuban musicians.
Sat 4th Sept / 7pm
STRAIGHT TO THE POINT (Onde a Coruja Dorme)
Dir: Márcia Derraik & Simplício Neto
This engaging documentary profiles Bezerra da Silva, a Brazilian music legend known as the father of ‘gangsta samba’. Da Silva’s songs, many of them written by residents of the slums of Rio de Janeiro, are social critiques that champion the underdog who must do whatever it takes to survive.
More info:
Brazilian Film Festival in London
Follow Sounds and Colours: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Mixcloud / Soundcloud / Bandcamp
Subscribe to the Sounds and Colours Newsletter for regular updates, news and competitions bringing the best of Latin American culture direct to your Inbox.