opbo studio collaborates with Δαγκάνα for a two-day screening of contemporary Brazilian cinema
Δαγκάνα starts a new film cycle, this time in Piraeus, in the hospitable space of opbo studio, with a two-day summer screening dedicated to contemporary Brazilian cinema, exploring the common anthropological references that define the social identity of the average person today.
Two films will be screened on Sunday 18/6 and Monday 19/6 at 20.30
Sunday 18/6 (20:30): Marte Um - Gabriel Martins, 2022
Monday 19/6: Fogaréu (20:30) - Flávia Neves, 2022
FREE ENTRANCE
A few words about the film weekend at opbo studio
In the last 20 years, Brazilian cinema has experienced a boom, the likes of which have not been seen since the legendary Cinema Novo, when directors such as the pioneers, Nelson Pereira dos Santos and Glauber Rocha, introduced themselves to the world film community with original films of intense socio-political content, full of innovation in cinematic media, creating fresh writing, establishing Brazilian cinema on the world stage.
Trapped by incessant waves of political and economic change, Brazilian cinema has never been stable throughout its life, constantly entering downward spirals that would be salvaged at the last minute each time. The most recent rescue seems to put Brazilian cinema definitively on the road to international recognition.
Dictatorship or democracy, military junta, or parliamentarism, none of these situations seemed to dramatically affect the new reality that Brazilian cinema is evolving into, despite the regressions of its environment.
The inherent weakness of its creative potential also places it in a delicate position in the face of the onslaught of North American over-producers who flood the film world with an oversimplified vision of existence. This weakness, however, seems to have faded over the past fifteen years, thanks to the arrival, on the international scene, of visionary Brazilian filmmakers who dare to unpack their country's problems and produce strong and well-made works. These creators can take credit for the survival of Brazilian cinema.
The turn of the century marked the definitive resurrection of Brazilian cinema with Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lung's Cidade de Deus. Released in 2002, this extremely harsh but beautifully directed film reveals to the world the sordid reality of child gangs in the favelas of Rio in the seventies. Impeccably filmed, the film was nominated for an Oscar. A righteous revenge for a film culture too often suffocated by the Hollywood giant.
This theme of denouncing ultra-violence in the slums of Brazil's mega-cities was first noted in 2007 by José Padilha in the film "Elite Squad". The main difference was that the director focused mainly on trying to describe the harsh working conditions of the police, between the imminent danger of over-armed gangs and the endemic corruption in all functions of the administration.
The data and statistics at the end of the millennium clearly show an improvement in film production and acceptance in cinemas. In ten years, the number of viewers tripled and new directors began to appear regularly, such as Daniel Filho whose film, "Se Eu Fosse Você 2" in 2009, was the biggest national success for a Brazilian film with millions of tickets cut domestically.
More recently, Kleber Mendonça Filho's film "Aquarius" was screened not only in Cannes, but also in his home country, where the warm reception has gone beyond the confines of cinema. The new generation of filmmakers in Brazil, with all its "stars" such as Kleber Mendonça Filho, Lírio Ferreira, Gabriel Mascaro, Maya Da-Rin, and many others - have put Brazil back on the world cinema map in a very convincing way.
Active, committed, and demanding, Brazilian cinema continues to be characterized by sociological critique through dynamic direction and narrative guidance, always with beautiful bright moments even if the subject matter is challenging. It remains charming and mysterious and deserves a new exploration.