Adventures of a Gringa

Xingu, the Movie

When I first read this review of Cao Hamburger's new movie, Xingu, I kept my expectations low when I went to see the movie at the Tribeca Film Festival. While the film certainly has its faults, it's actually a really fascinating true story with the Fernando Meirelles touch and beautiful cinematography.

 

The movie follows the three Villas Boas brothers from a prominent São Paulo family who join an expedition to open Brazil's wild frontier. They encounter indigenous tribes who previously had no outside contact, and become advocates for protecting these groups. Orlando Villas Boas eventually helped convince the Brazilian government to set up Brazil's first indigenous reserve, Xingu National Park, which is nearly the size of Belgium. The brothers also helped convince indigenous tribes to settle in the park and to relocate people who were scattered from tribes and other tribes who would be displaced by the Transamazonica highway construction. It's an incredible story not only about Brazilian history but also about Brazilian-style advocacy. Though it's not about the environment, it does have an underlying message about sustainability and protecting land, which comes at an apt time with the passage of Brazil's Forest Code law by Congress (President Dilma must now decide whether or not to veto it, or make changes and pass it).

I also thought it was interesting to see which companies helped support the movie. Any time you sit through the opening credits of a Brazilian movie, you'll notice that there are quite a few sponsors, and Petrobras, Brazil's oil company, is very frequently one of the top sponsors. But it was noticeably absent from this movie; instead, Eletrobras (Brazil's electric company) and Natura, an environmentally-conscious cosmetics company, were both big sponsors. Other sponsors included Brazil's development bank, Ambev, one of the largest brewing companies in the world, and NET, a cable and internet provider. Just food for thought.

One of the things I did think was missing was more about the relationships with the indigenous tribes on first contact. While it was interesting to see how they would meet the tribes, there was a missed opportunity to show more of how the brothers and the indigenous people adapted to one another during the first year of contact, beyond learning basic vocabulary. There is a fun scene where one of the brothers takes some members of the tribe in a small airplane, but there must be so many fascinating stories surrounding the relationship between the outsiders and the indigenous people. Though the brothers are among the most famous for being advocates for and friends of the indigenous tribes, the picture the movie painted made it seem like everything was quite rosy, while I imagine that this was not always the case in the brothers' relationships with different tribes.

Still, it's definitely a movie worth seeing. Sadly, the movie isn't doing very well in Brazil, where it is currently playing; one columnist says it's because movies about the indigenous don't have much appeal there. But I recommend seeing it if you get a chance, either in Brazil or at future international screenings.

Dzi Croquettes

Two Brazilian movies are playing in New York this month so they can qualify for the Oscars: Elite Squad 2 and Dzi Croquettes. Elite Squad will try to make the short list for best foreign film, and Dzi Croquettes will try to qualify for best documentary. Since I've already written a great deal about Tropa de Elite, it's time to talk a bit about Dzi Croquettes.

Dzi Croquettes tells the story of a thirteen man Brazilian troupe that performed cabaret in Brazil and Europe, achieving huge success doing avant garde and at the time, risqué performances. Liza Minnelli, who appears in the film, became something of a godmother to the troupe, and celebrities came to their shows in Paris and Brazil.

 

The movie is wonderful to watch because it's a story of incredible characters, who are loveable, crazy, and inspiring. It's also interesting from a cultural perspective, to see how a blending of cultural influences, styles, and techniques from Brazil and the U.S. came together to create a completely new phenomenon. Lennie Dale was a fascinating character alone. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, he was a Broadway performer who moved to Brazil and began singing and dancing there, and befriended and even performed with people like Elis Regina. (He also spoke beautiful Portuguese.) He founded Dzi Croquettes along with Brazilian performer Wagner Ribeiro, bringing to the group formal dance technique. While in Brazil, he spent a year in jail after getting caught with pot, and became a hit behind bars teaching the inmates to dance. He also got hit by a bus (literally) and was unable to perform for a time. Along with several others in the troupe, he was a fantastic dancer, making the archive footage of the dance scenes some of the best parts of the movie.

From a historical standpoint, it's amazing what the troupe got away with under the military dictatorship, somehow miraculously avoiding censorship, though the government tried to shut them down a few times. It's also incredible how they were able to express themselves so freely - both as performers and as gay men during the 1960s.

The movie also shows how the group had an enormous cultural influence, not only in dance, theater, and music, but even the Portuguese language (the word tiete, which is now in the Portuguese dictionary, was coined by the group.) Also, many of the foreigners interviewed in the movie became fans of Brazil, traveling there and even learning Portuguese, because of Dzi Croquettes.

Dzi Croquettes is playing at the IFC Center in New York starting today and running through November 24.

Sergio Documentary

Though it came out last year, I can't recommend this documentary enough, which recently aired on the BBC and came to HBO Go this summer. Sergio is a fantastic film that follows the life of Brazilian superstar diplomat Sérgio Vieira De Mello and his untimely death in Iraq. Described as a mix between James Bond and Bobby Kennedy, Sergio was a Carioca who grew up in Europe and traveled the world after joining the UN at age 21. The film alternates between the terrible day of his death and telling the story of his life and career. Though there's just a bit about Brazil and Sérgio's family, a lot of the movie deals with Sérgio's Brazilian diplomatic style. He was a diplomat in the line of Lula's foreign policy, that of engaging any and all leaders in the name of peace, including dictators and accused human rights violators. But what is really fascinating to see is how Sérgio's charisma and powerful personality captivated and influenced people around the world, from Condoleezza Rice to members of the Khmer Rouge. On the other hand, it's maddening and horrific to witness the attack on the UN that ultimately claimed his life. All in all, it's a really amazing story about an amazing Brazilian.

 

 

The film was based on a 2008 book by Samantha Power, called Chasing The Flame. Watch her speak about the book and about Sérgio below.

 

The film is available on HBO Go, for sale here, and may be floating around Youtube if you dig.

Senna

There's a saying that God is Brazilian, but few Brazilians come close to deity status like Ayrton Senna. While Formula 1 is a popular sport in Brazil, it's not on the same level as soccer, but mention Senna to any Brazilian and you'll visibily see the change in his or her expression: his face will soften, and he may get a far-away look in his eyes. He'll likely be able to remember where he was when he found out about Senna's passing, like Americans can recall about JFK's death. There are many beloved national figures, but Senna is something between an idol and a martyr, an adored brother-like figure in the grande família brasileira. It's hard to provide an adequate comparison, but it's like if Michael Jordan had died young and tragically at the height of his career. Learning about Senna is helpful for understanding Brazilian culture, and being able to speak about him is an excellent way to make a personal connection with Brazilians.

So if you haven't seen Senna yet, go and find it as soon as you can. (You can find upcoming screenings and release dates here) The documentary about Senna's rise to fame was recently released in the U.S., Australia, Europe, Canada, and Mexico, and is coming out on DVD soon in the UK. It has broken box office records in the UK, U.S. and Australia, and won the Audience Award at Sundance this year. As a documentary alone, it's spectacular, skillfully weaving dozens of interviews with carefully selected excerpts from hundreds of hours of archival footage.

It's hard to really understand Senna's stature from just reading about him, and the film very clearly shows how it was not just his victories that made him a hero, but also his determination, patriotism, honesty and humility. While the movie really is focused on racing (I was disappointed there wasn't as much focus on his life in Brazil, or the context of his fame in Brazil), it really gives you a real appreciation for his appeal. It ranges from touching to hilarious, inspiring to infuriating, and while it ends in tragedy, the filmmakers make sure to explain the positive results of his legacy.

Perhaps one of the best scenes is when Senna wins the Brazilian Grand Prix for the first time, a personal victory to win at home. He was focusing so intensely on finishing first that he gripped his whole body to the point that he actually passed out, and when he came to, had excrutiating pain all over. It was the moment that Senna stood on the podium, grimacing in pain as he painstakingly lifted the trophy above his head, that I really understood his hero status, beyond his titles, charity, and racing fame. One of the repeated themes throughout the movie were Brazilians remarking how Senna was one of the "only good things Brazil has" and how happy he made Brazilians with his success, and how proud he made them feel. At a time of economic and political turmoil, Senna's international wins in a sport dominated largely by Europeans were clearly considered a national victory, and every win was a win for all Brazilians. I wonder what he would think of Brazil now, now that athletic champions are just a small part of so many triumphs making Brazilians proud.

Brazil: An Inconvenient History

Years before PBS's Black in Latin America series, BBC released an interesting documentary about slavery in Brazil called Brazil - An Inconvenient History. You'll see some familiar faces from the Brazil episode of the PBS documentary, and some similar themes, but the BBC documentary is much more focused on history than identity. There are times when it's a bit drier and more academic than the PBS documentary, but nevertheless worth watching. There are some incredibly harrowing details, and it uses interesting first person accounts from historical texts and documents.

Now it's available online, so watch here!

English

 

Português (legendado) - Parte I

 

Parte II

Parte III

Parte IV

Via Deep Brazil

Drug Liberalization in Brazil

In a country where major cities are plagued by organized crime and drug trafficking, it's no surprise that a liberalization movement has grown and has gained a steady foothold among urban youth and intellectuals. Just in the past year, two documentaries were released about drug policy, including Quebrando O Tabú, featuring former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, and Paulo Coelho, and Cortina de Fumaça, which also includes FHC, Fernando Gabeira, and dozens of experts in Brazil and abroad.

More videos from Quebrando O Tabú

Cortina de Fumaça is currently showing at the Petrobras Brazil Film Festival in New York, which I was lucky enough to see early this week. If you can't make it to the next screening, you can watch here:

But here's the catch: in Brazil, it's illegal to publicly protest drug policy, since it's illegal to "apologize for" or defend crime and illegal substances. In the past, drug liberalization marches, known as Marchas da Maconha (Marijuana Marches) were broken up by police, and protesters arrested.

Most recently, there was a march in São Paulo in May, which was violently repressed by police after the event was forbidden by local courts. In fact, the same month, Marijuana Marches were prohibited by the courts in nine cities. To protest the repression of the São Paulo march, a week later, thousands of people (somewhere between 2,000 and 5,000) took to the streets of Brazil's largest city in what they called the Marcha da Liberdade, or the Freedom March.

 

The Freedom March inspired planning for new marches throughout Brazil, but there was some question as to how they would take place given past events. Some events, like the Rio de Janeiro march, were calling it the Marcha da Liberdade instead of the Marcha da Maconha, both to protest censorship and to attempt to ensure the event could take place. But today, the Supreme Court ruled in a unanimous decision that protesters will be able to hold Marijuana Marches, declaring that the protests were not defending drug trafficking. The justices defended the protesters' freedom of speech, explaining that it was their constitutional right to express their views.

Now, this weekend, marches are planned all over Brazil, including massive events in São Paulo and Rio, as well as events in more than 30 other cities.

 

This will be a very interesting movement to watch, because though it seems unlikely that major legislation will come anytime soon, it's an issue that is gaining momentum and has the support of some powerful and influential people, from TV stars to the ex-president. It's possible that this issue will become a more salient, national debate in the near future.

Watch Waste Land

Just a quick update on Waste Land, for those of you who still haven't seen it. For those in the US, Waste Land will air on PBS, on the Independent Lens series. Check your local listings to see when it's on in your area! Also, the movie is now available on Netflix, both on DVD and streaming.

Here are some videos from PBS featuring Waste Land's director and some clips from the movie.

 

More videos here

Sorry for the slow posts this week. I have a few new ones coming up next week!