enIish and media centre | september zooq | MedlaMagazlne bb

Latin American cinema - in the shadew ef

heIIyweed
8elng sc clcse gecgraphlcally tc the unlted States cf Amerlca,
we mlght falrly expect a gccd number cf Scuth Amerlcan
natlcns tc have been pcrtrayed ln cne cf lts ma|cr expcrts:
mcvles. lt's true that Mexlcc has lcng featured ln westerns
as a qulck and easy representatlcn cf a place cf vlclence and
danger. Mexlcc ls where 'the law' can't reach, where (clvlllsed)
Amerlca runs cut. 8ut fllmlc excurslcns much further scuth are
partlcularly rare. lt's as lf the unlted States can't even lmaglne
the ccuntrles beycnd lts lmmedlate nelghbcur, cf a ccntlnent
sc large and varlcus that lt mlght challenge the slmpllstlc
ldeclcgy cf the western frcntler.
The kKU muslcal, llying 0cwn tc kic (1), hlnted at nctlcns
cf exctlclsm ln lts tltle. lt ls cne cf the rare ackncwledgements
ln Fcllywccd's back-catalcgue cf the
exlstence cf 8razll: the flfth largest ccuntry
ln the wcrld, ccmprlslng half the landmass
cf the entlre Scuth Amerlcan ccntlnent.
llying 0cwn tc kic ls mcre ccncerned wlth
representatlcns cf hcrth Amerlcan affluence,
expressed thrcugh the luxury cf fllght, than
prcvldlng a travelcgue wlthln the natlcn cf
8razll. Clearly, lf we want stcrles that attempt
genulne deplctlcns cf Latln Amerlca we need
tc gc fcr the hcme-grcwn prcduct.
8raziIian cinema histery
The hlstcry cf 8razlllan clnema ls certalnly as chequered
and lnccnslstent as thcse cf cther Scuth Amerlcan
natlcns, desplte a prcmlslng start. Unly seven mcnths
after the Lumlre 8rcthers' famcus flrst screenlng cf thelr
'clnematcgraphe' at the 0rand Cafe ln Parls, 8razll was 'at
the mcvles'. Un the 8th cf }uly 186, a crude lmltatlcn cf the
'clnematcgraphe' was prc|ected ln Uuvldcr street ln klc de
}anelrc.
}ust twc years later 8razll was, qulte llterally, 'ln the mcvles',
the flrst lmages fccused cn the bay cf 0uanabara and scme
shlps anchcred there. An ltallan lmmlgrant named Afcnsc
Segretc, arrlvlng frcm Furcpe wlth an early Lumlre camera,
had reallsed that 8razll's beautlful landscape, and the large
quantltles cf lmmlgrants lt was attractlng, were sub|ects
wcrth dccumentlng. unkncwlngly, Segretc establlshed twc
cf the ma|cr ccncerns cf 8razlllan clnema: settlng stcrles ln
partlcular landscapes, and the strcng dccumentary tradltlcn
that ls stlll a prcmlnent feature cf the natlcn's fllm prcductlcn.
Fcr the flrst decade cf the twentleth century lndlgencus
prcductlcn was held back by llmlted pcwer supplles. A
regular supply cf electrlclty was, and stlll ls, an essentlal
lnfrastructure fcr the generatlcn cf llght, let alcne lts
prc|ectlcn. Unce thls prcblem had been cverccme, clnemas
'sprung up llke mushrccms' ln the tcwns and cltles cf a natlcn
that wanted tc keep ln tcuch wlth the wcrld. lf Fcllywccd
screenwrlters' lmaglnatlcns have rarely able tc stretch as far
as Scuth Amerlca, then thcse cf thelr buslness asscclates
certalnly have. 8y the 1os, the uS already held an 8o%
expIering braziIian cinema
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bB MedlaMagazlne | september zooq | enIish and media centre
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market share ln 8razll, whlle lndlgencus prcductlcn cculd
manage cnly %. lt ls thls dcmlnance by fcrelgn lnterests that
has been seen as the determlnlng factcr ln the years after the
ccmlng cf scund and the decllne ln 8razlllan attempts tc tell
reallst stcrles.
After the Seccnd wcrld war, 8razll lccked tc emulate the
pcpullst fcrm cf the muslcal and mcdelled lts prcductlcns cn
thcse that were such an lnternatlcnal success fcr the unlted
States. The rhcnrhcdc has lts rccts ln 8razlllan ccmlc theatre
and the exuberance cf carnlval but lts lcw-budget and lccal
aesthetlcs meant that lt was never gclng tc be a successful
expcrt. 8razlllan fllm prcductlcn ln the flftles saw lt fall further
behlnd ln bcth lnternatlcnal markets and the regard cf lts
hcme audlence.
0lauber kccha was the cnjcnt tcrriblc cf the Cinema
Neve mcvement that emerged ln the slxtles. Thls factlcn
emphaslsed a 'new' dlrectlcn fcr 8razlllan fllmmaklng.
Taklng a cue frcm the pclltlcal clnema emerglng ln France,
the PeIitique des Auteurs, kccha's manlfestc /csthctirs
cj viclcnrc cnd hungcr, argued that fllm dlrectcrs shculd
suppcrt cr beccme the 'authcrs' cf cppcsltlcnal practlce.
kccha's hlghly lnfluentlal ccmmentary cemented partlcular
themes ln 8razlllan fllm prcductlcn that have slnce remalned
present ln the mlndset cf the ccuntry's dlrectcrs and thelr
audlences. kccha prctested that pecple fcr whcm hunger ls
a ncrmal ccndltlcn are sufferlng vlclence - the vlclence cf
the scclal system that makes them gc hungry. Fcw true these
wcrds wculd rlng tc scme cf the characters ln City cj Ccd. Tc
kccha, the natlcn's fllmmakers have a duty tc tell the truth
abcut the Iives eI erdinary peepIe. Fe argues that 8razlllan
fllms shculd lcck tc chaIIenge the seciaI status que rather
than re-create the shallcw escaplsm cf the Fcllywccd mcvles.
Cinema Neve fllms have became kncwn fcr thelr tradltlcn cf
IermaI experimentatien, seciaI censcience, and steries that
represent aII cIasses in seciety.
At the start cf the os, 8razll underwent a new crlsls, thls tlme
lnternal. Favlng lcst lts state prctectlcn, abcllshed by the
0cvernment cf Fernandc Ccllcr de Mellc, the clnema eccncmy
became dlscrganlzed and fllm prcductlcn drcpped tc almcst
zerc. Thlngs cnly tcck a turn fcr the better ln 1 when a
law was passed that created IinanciaI incentives Ier these
whe invested in IiIms in preductien. Federal Law number
8.6 cffers rebates cf up tc % agalnst tax and, tc quallfy
fcr these ccncesslcns, fllm prc|ects need tc be apprcved by
the 0cvernment's Audlcvlsual uepartment ln 8rasllla, the
admlnlstratlve capltal. whether apprcval under thls system ls a
prccess akln tc censcrshlp ls debatable. 5heuId directers have
te reIy en Cevernment sanctien Ier their Iunding?
Centemperary 8raziIian natienaI cinema
hc fllm buff cculd have falled tc nctlce the resurgence cf Latln
Amerlcan clnema ln the last few years. /mcrcs Pcrrcs |lcvc's
8itrhcs[ (Ale|andrc larrltu, Mexlcc, ooo), and 1u Mcmc
1cmbicn |/nd Mcmc Ccmc 1cc[ (Alfcnsc Cuarcn, Mexlcc, oo1)
have bcth shcwn that Mexlcan clnema ls prepared tc challenge
scme cf the sterectypes created fcr lt by Fcllywccd.
WaIter 5aIIes jnr - a 8raziIian fiIm
dynasty
8razll, tcc, has had scme nctable recent successes ln flndlng
a wlder audlence fcr fllms wlth mcre reaIistic representatiens
cf lts resldents. Ccntrcl Stcticn (walter Salles }r., 8razll, 18)
was ncmlnated fcr the Uscar fcr 8est Mctlcn Plcture ln a
Fcrelgn Language, alcngslde lts leadlng actress, Fernanda
Mcntenegrc, whc was ncmlnated fcr 8est Actress. Salles' ldea
fcr Ccntrcl Stcticn came dlrectly frcm hls experlence fllmlng
an earller dccumentary, Scrcrrc Ncbrc (lijc Scmcwhcrc lsc).
Ccntrcl Stcticn tells the stcry cf a relatlcnshlp between a
ycung crphan and a pccr wcman, but lt ls the real-lccatlcn
backdrcps cn thelr |curney tc the lnterlcr that palnt such a
vlvld plcture cf llfe ln mcdern 8razll.
lndeed, 5aIIes ls cne name ln ccntempcrary prcductlcn ln
8razll that keeps crcpplng up. walter's father fcrmed the
8razlllan bank unlbancc, but passed hls lcve cf fllm tc hls
scns, desplte havlng tc spend tlme ln flnance. The Salles
famlly are ncw prcbably the natlcn's mcst ma|cr players ln the
fllm lndustry. They suppcrted the prcductlcn and dlstrlbutlcn
cf City cj Ccd. walter's brcther had made hcw /ngcls crc
8crn (Murllc Salles, 16) fcr Canal 8rasll, the natlcn's
pcpular cable subscrlptlcn channel, develcplng thls theme cf
chlldklllers revlslted ln City cj Ccd. Tc Salles, City cj Ccd ls
abeut a natien within a natien, abeut the miIIiens eI
olvldados [the Iergetten] that are statisticaIIy reIevant but
scarceIy represented en screen.
enIish and media centre | september zooq | MedlaMagazlne b
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5ymen uy runs the PCC in Media ducatien with ngIish at CentraI 5cheeI eI
5peech and rama, Lenden.
walter Salles cemented hls lnternatlcnal reputatlcn wlth
8chind thc Sun (8razll]Swltzerland]France, oo1) and hls
pcpularlty abrcad ls evldenced by the flnance prcvlded frcm
Furcpean ccuntrles ln thls lnternatlcnal cc-prcductlcn. Salles
ls currently ln prcductlcn wlth ancther rcad mcvle, but thls
tlme cne wlth a mcre cvert pclltlcal edge than has prevlcusly
characterlsed hls fllms. Chc Cucvcrc: thc Mctcrryrlc 0icrics,
shct ln Argentlna, Peru and Chlle, recreates the famcus Cuban
revclutlcnary's mctcrcycle |curney thrcugh Scuth and Central
Amerlca. Sleeplng rcugh cr staylng at leper cclcnles cn the
way ncrth frcm hls hcmeland cf Argentlna, 0uevara clalms tc
have been pclltlclsed by the pcverty and lnhumanlty he saw
rlght acrcss the ccntlnent. Che 0uevara ls a glcbal lccn cf
revclutlcn and the mcvle wlll certalnly brlng Salles' clnematlc
vlslcn tc a wlder audlence.
1he prisen mevie - a 8raziIian genre
lf 8razll has cne genre that lt mlght call lts cwn then perhaps
thls wculd be the prisen mevie. ln a natlcn wlth such
pclarlsatlcn between the haves and the have-ncts, lt ls hardly
surprlslng that 8razlllan dlrectcrs have fcund the nctcrlcus
'state detentlcn centres' tc be sultable canvasses cn whlch
tc palnt the llves cf the crlmlnal classes. The 8razlllan fllm
fcllcwlng up the success cf City cj Ccd ln Furcpean arthcuse
clnemas ls Ccrcndiru (Fectcr 8abencc, 8razll, oo). The fllm
ls a dramatlsed verslcn cf the 1 Sac Paulc prlscn rlcts and
subsequent massacre cf 111 cf lts lnmates. ln 1, 8abencc
had pcrtrayed the llves cf the 'dlspcsable' street urchlns
llvlng ln the sewers and slums cf the favelas ln Pixctc. kiss cj
thc Spidcrwcmcn, hls 1 fcllcw-up had seen wllllam Furt
recelve an Uscar fcr 8est Actcr fcr hls pcrtrayal cf the camp
ccnvlct whc shared a cell wlth pclltlcal dlssldent kaul }ulla.
Taken tcgether, thls trllcgy prcvldes audlences wlth scme
understandlng cf the realltles cf lncarceratlcn ln 8razll - lt ls nc
wcnder that scme cf the characters ln City cj Ccd are prepared
tc gc tc all lengths tc avcld belng lccked up ln such prlscns.
Ncws lrcm c Privctc wcr (Katla Lund, 8razll, oo1), the hard-
hlttlng dccumentary lncluded cn the uvu release cf City cj
Ccd, cffers further lnslghts lntc the vlclent clashes between
the pcllce and the drug gangs ln the shanty-tcwn favelas
where the 8razlllan underclass ls fcrced tc reslde. Katla Lund
ls credlted wlth cc-dlrectlng City cj Ccd and was asslstant
dlrectcr cn Ccntrcl Stcticn, her dccumentary ccnflrms that
the shcct-cuts between gangsters and pcllce represented
ln City cj Ccd are based cn real events. 1here are mere than
e,eee vieIent deaths a year in raziI. Arnaldc }abcr, cne cf
the ccuntry's mcst lmpcrtant lntellectuals belleves that Clty of
6od has perIermed a vitaI reIe in highIighting this vieIence:
it is net enIy a IiIm. It is an impertant Iact, a cruciaI
statement, a heIe in eur natienaI censcience.
8raziI's digitaI cinema reveIutien
8razll cculd sccn have the largest netwcrk cf dlgltal clnemas
ln the wcrld. The wcrld's fcurth blggest demccracy alsc has
an electlcn system that ls 1oo% electrcnlc. Thls mlght seem tc
be at cdds wlth the lmage cf pcverty and under-develcpment
that we see ln City cj Ccd, but dcn't be mlstaken. 8razll's
clnema netwcrk ls as lmpcverlshed as a gccd percentage cf
lts cltlzens - the ceuntry has ene eI the Iewest number eI
screens per capita in the werId; 1ee,eee peepIe per screen.
Sc, the natlcnal clnema lndustry ls taklng scme respcnslblllty
fcr deplctlng the llves cf the pecple cf cne cf the mcst
pclarlsed natlcns cn earth. As Salles ccmmented:
Clty of 6od is the depictien eI a werId where peepIe have
been Iergetten Ier tee Ieng by the raziIian ruIing cIasses;
a werId where the state dees net previde preper heaIth er
educatien services. In Iact the enIy thing that it prevides
IreeIy is buIIets.
The fllm has lndeed created heated pclltlcal debate ln
8razll. The natlcn's current leader, Lulz lnaclc da Sllva,
came tc pcwer cn a manlfestc that prcmlsed tc address the
lnequalltles cf the scclal system and had publlcly urged the
prevlcus presldent tc:
ge te see Clty of 6od te understand the extent eI the urban
tragedy eI raziI.
City cj Ccd then ls a pewerIuI exampIe eI hew a IiIm can
inIIuence the pubIic censcieusness. lt mlght well have been
an agent eI seciaI change ln lts cwn ccuntry, thcugh scme
wculd argue that the humanltarlan and clvll rlghts lssues that
8razll has tc deal wlth have cnly been tcuched upcn ln the
fllm. }abcr belleves City cj Ccd wlll cause transfcrmatlcns ln
the publlc arena because:
. it is net enIy a pertrait eI eur IaveIas, it is aIse eur
pertrait, at z Irames a secend, eur Iaces bIurred with the
Iaces eI 1e-year-eId chiIdren heIding machine guns. AII the
maniIestatiens eI eur chaes wiII beceme visibIe and the IiIm
wiII be seen by the wheIe ceuntry in terrer. MM