Oliver Stone’s new documentary, South of the Border, is due to be released soon, and President Lula will appear, along with several other Latin American presidents, including the leaders of Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Cuba, and starring Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.
Check out the trailer below, and listen closely to the clip with Lula! (the rest is in Spanish)
Released in March, Beyond Ipanema: Brazilian Waves in Global Music, recently premiered in New York at MoMA’s Annual Brazilian Film Festival. The documentary is about the popularization of Brazilian music outside of Brazil, and how different genres of Brazilian music have been popularized. The movie includes interviews with some of Brazil’s biggest stars, including Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Seu Jorge, and Os Mutantes, amongst others.
Check out the trailer and a clip from the New York premiere below!
Carlos Diegues, one of Brazil’s most acclaimed film directors, is working on a new project that he hopes will challenge stereotypes of Rio’s favelas and become a box office hit: a remake of his 1962 movie “Cinco Vezes Favela,” or “Five Times Favela.”
Originally produced by upper class film students, the remake is being made by five aspiring directors from Rio’s slums. Each director must produce a 20 minute segment that will become part of the complete feature film. With a US$2 million budget and coaching from some of Brazil’s best directors, like Fernando Meirelles and Walter Salles, the film has high expectations. Diegues hopes the budding directors will achieve fame and success, while being able to accurately portray where they come from.
The creators of the movie hope to portray the slums in a different light, after the success of violent films like “Cidade de Deus” and “Tropa de Elite.” The stories in the film are comedies and upbeat tales to focus on hope and the positive aspects of slum life. The film will be distributed by Sony/Columbia Pictures.
See more info here, and check out a behind the scenes look at the project below.
Since we discussed the topic earlier in the week, for today’s interactive feature we’re going to talk about movies. Today’s question is: what is your favorite Brazilian film?
Unfortunately, due to a low popularity in foreign films, not many Brazilian films are released in US theaters, and those who have seen Brazilian movies have usually just seen City of God. But there are a lot of great ones out there worth seeing that you can find on DVD, through Netflix, or ordering them online.
My personal favorite is Central do Brasil (Central Station) directed by Walter Salles and starring Brazilian film star Fernanda Montenegro. It was nominated for two Oscars in 1999 and won numerous international film awards, and really is a spectacular movie. It tells the story of an older woman who befriends a young boy in Rio de Janeiro, and the journey they take together in search of the boy’s father.
What about you?
Today we’re going to take a look at Brazil entertainment news, for the latest in movies.
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