Rio Gringa

Rio The Movie Round Up

Rio finally opened in the US this past weekend, and it was really a delight to watch. The main complaints I'd heard, between reviews and feedback from friends and viewers, is that the story was clichéd and that it wasn't Pixar. That's true, and it the plot did seem to skim along the surface, not delving very deep into any issues. Then again, it is a children's movie, and in its main aim, entertaining, it is highly successful.

There are a few things that stood out for me. The first is that it really is the first animated feature aimed at mainstream international audiences about Brazil since Zé Carioca, and brings a vision of Rio to the world that may seem stereotypical, but managed to strike a balance between Brazilian culture and a bit of a harsher reality (animal trafficking, favelas, street kids). It really is a boon for Brazilian tourism, and for some, is certainly a much more welcome perspective than popular movies in recent years that highlighted violence and poverty. So maybe a new generation of children (or even some adults) will continue to associate Brazil with Rio, soccer, samba, and carnival. But in the case of Americans, who know so little about Brazil at all, at least it will provide a little perspective. The impact of popular movies about other countries can really be surprising.

The second is that there was a surprising amount of Portuguese. Though the movie was created with a global audience in mind, it was American made and funded, and though it's a nation of immigrants and hundreds of languages, a large percentage of Americans are decidedly anti-foreign languages (or at the very least, monolingual). So I was pleasantly surprised to see Portuguese both written, spoken, and sung throughout the movie.

[Spoiler alert ahead]

The third thing is that although the movie was incredibly enjoyable, with fun music and gorgeous cinematography, it is all the more enjoyable if you've ever traveled to or lived in Rio. (Plus, of my Brazilian expat friends who've seen the movie, particularly Cariocas, all of them have really loved the movie.) You can really appreciate the spectacular landscapes, the scenes of the different neighborhoods, and the typical tourist sites. And if you've lived in Rio or even spent some time traveling around the city, it's even more satisfying; chances are you've experienced many things that happen in the movie.

It wasn't until after that I realized just how much of the story I could appreciate, beyond the obvious requisite visits to Cristo, the Sugarloaf, Vista Chinesa, Jardim Botânico, and the Floresta da Tijuca. I've gone hang gliding in São Conrado, gone to blocos in Ipanema, seen the Carnival parade in the Sambodrome and even danced in the children's parade, taken the bonde up to Santa Teresa (plus, I think the entrance to the "repair shop" in the movie was based on Largo dos Guimarães, where I spent most of my time), befriended a menino de rua, rode a motorcycle up the alleys of Rocinha, and obviously, fell in love with a Brazilian man and moved to Rio. Chances are, if you're from Rio or lived in Rio, you can relate to the movie much more, and it makes it much more endearing.

But it was even the little details that I loved. I'm pretty sure I've actually speculated out loud how many fire code violations were being broken in some Lapa clubs, and I love those "don't feed the monkey signs" on the Sugarloaf because everyone does just the opposite. After a few samba school visits, some of those samba enredos did start to sound pretty similar. But I think my favorite moment was when the samba school director, voiced by Sergio Mendes, is shouting at Linda, who is on top of a float. "REBOLA!!" he yells, though she doesn't understand. He wants her to dance, but the underlying message is for her to loosen up and to live a little. There's a lot to learn from living in Rio, but one of the things I'm happiest to have learned is how to deal with stress in a healthier way and to sometimes, just let things work themselves out. It's something I have to constantly remind myself, especially being back in New York, so that snippet of the scene has really stuck with me.

Q&A With Julia Michaels

Since Julia Michaels started RioReal blog last August, the blog has become a great source of the latest news from Rio in both English and Portuguese, as well as analysis of Rio politics and current events. I decided to find out more about this Rio gringa and her experience in the Cidade Maravilhosa.

How did you originally end up in Rio? What was it like for you in the beginning?
I first moved to São Paulo, in 1981, a newlywed-- married to a Brazilian I'd met in grad school in the U.S. We moved to Rio in 1995. I had been here as an exchange student in 1978, living in Barra with a family-- where there was nothing except the round church and some low buildings by the beach-- and a lot of motels. I got here two days before the 1978 World Cup, having never heard of it. I got up to speed fast, over a feijoada that some people served to me at their kitchen table before the first Brazil game, and then sat down only to watch me eat! I loved Brazil immediately and knew I'd be back, somehow. Now it's so familiar that it's hard for me to imagine how it seems to a first-time visitor.
 
What made you decide to make your life and raise your family in Rio?
My now ex-husband's job brought us to Rio. Our twins were ten and the youngest was five. They were furious about leaving São Paulo, but soon picked up the accent. But they're still São Paulinos... By the time we got here I had stopped working as a journalist and was writing fiction at home in my mothering-free time. Rio is such a rich subject; I was happy to be here and write about it. I wrote a novel (Stowed Objects May Have Shifted) which I'll soon be looking for an agent for, about the "disappeared" Praça Onze, which is where the samba was born in 1916 and is also where the first Jewish immigrants went to live. I'm now finishing up a memoir set here, Single in Rio, City of Love. The title says it all. I should add that I feel at home in Brazil because the emotional-- relating to other people-- is given more value here than in the U.S. in general, and this suits me.
 
What kind of work have you done in Brazil, both jobs and volunteer work? Do you have a favorite non-profit or community group?
My only "real" job here was as foreign non-fiction editor at Editora Objetiva, from 2005 to 2010. I acquired foreign books and shepherded them through the translation and entire production process, including cover creation and flap copy. I loved the job and learned tons, including how to write in Portuguese. My claim to fame is that I bought Eat, Pray, Love for Brazil before it was big in the U.S. or anywhere else. It's still a bestseller in Brazil, as is Liz Gilbert's followup book, Committed. I was active in my neighborhood association in São Conrado and a founder and board member of CDI, an early NGO that sets up computer schools in low-income communities. I'm particularly interested now in entrepreneurship and microcredit, key to Brazil's continued growth. And yes, working with Comer, Rezar, Amar inspired my memoir!
 
A blog seems to be a natural project for you to share first hand news and perspectives from Rio. What do you hope to accomplish with the blog?
For the last couple of years I began to feel an itch to be directly involved in the life of the city, whose woes and joys I had long been tracking. When the Olympics were announced I could see we were entering a magical moment, a one-time opportunity. I wanted to help make sure the changes under way would last, would bear a legacy. A friend happened to say that the most important dynamic is that people know about the changes, approve of them, and want them to last. That was when I remembered I'd once been a journalist (In São Paulo, I'd freelanced ten years, for The Christian Science Monitor, Advertising Age and The Wall Street Journal, among others), and knew how to contribute to what my friend was talking about. I quit my publishing job and started the blog last August. It's more successful and necessary than I'd imagined. It's more than a full-time job. And I need funding! As soon as I finish my memoir I'm going to find some.
 
In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge for Rio and how do you think it can be tackled?
I think it's two things: that people learn to trade in their allegiance to small interest groups, for the greater good; and that people learn to  work towards an external standard of excellence, instead of tailoring their efforts to each particular set of circumstances and demands. These are actually challenges for all of Brazil, not just Rio de Janeiro. And I believe that the learning can be helped along by way of both positive and negative reinforcement, from government, employers and schools.

What is one thing you wish more people knew about Rio?
That it may be carefree and funloving, but that it's a serious city with serious work to achieve... so you shouldn't pee in the street!!! Can you tell my Carnival panic is setting in?

I Spy in Rio

While I was in Rio a few weeks ago, I tried to take in as much as I could despite time constraints. With more time, I might have spent days just wandering around the city with a notebook, but instead, I took every opportunity to note changes in the city since I'd left.

Local Business

Everywhere I went, there were Itaú banks everywhere. In some neighborhoods, it seemed like there was literally one on every corner, a la Starbucks back in its heyday. I'm guessing it's partially a result of the Itaú - Unibanco merger in late 2008, and that gradually all of the Unibanco branches were absorbed. But I also suspect it's related to the bank's success in a booming economy with a growing population of people looking for checking and savings services. I turned it into a game of sorts, so that whenever we passed an Itaú, I'd point at it and cry, Itaú! in mock surprise. When I got home, I bought some stock.

Cones are out (or at least, there seem to be fewer cone restaurants). Frozen yogurt is in. What started out as a single store in Ipanema has now blossomed into a chain with at least one other competitor, with stores throughout Zona Sul and in quite a few malls.

Speaking of malls, if you want to see Brazil's so-called economic miracle firsthand, I'd recommend taking a trip to Bangú Shopping, a beautiful mall in a lower middle class neighborhood in Zona Oeste. It opened a few years ago in an 120 year-old factory, and unlike many malls in nearby Barra, it has a quaint charm to it (at least on the outside), and is especially pretty now that it's decked out in Christmas lights. Not only are many of the stores the same ones you'll find in Zona Sul, it also has a fantastic movie theater and restaurants and cafes (including a Yogoberry). If you explore some of the areas nearby, you'll appreciate the fact that businesses are not only actively targeting different socioeconomic classes, but are in fact catering to them like they would in more affluent parts of the city.

Transportation

I was absolutely blown away by the reforms on the Metro, so much so that I even took pictures. They completely redid a few stations, outfitting them with gorgeous glass entrances, decorations, Metrocard machines, funky benches, and TV screens with information about the trains.

And then of course, there was the thing that basically made my entire week: the new Ipanema station. Not only is it beautiful and convenient, but it means you no longer have to take a bus from Copacabana and can just go straight there, saving lots of time and preventing a hassle. So basically, amazing (cue heavenly music here):

The question now is if the Metro can manage to extend the line even further to Barra, theoretically before 2014 in time for the World Cup. It doesn't seem likely, but if it happens at all, it will really help alleviate traffic (which is why a lot of bus companies are opposed to it, unfortunately).

While on Supervia, the suburban commuter trains, I noticed a sign saying that public preaching was prohibited. I was surprised, since this had been a common occurence to see evangelical preachers proselytizing on the cars, even on incredibly crowded rush hour trains. Apparently, a local court prohibited the practice on Supervia, though I wonder if the law has actually stuck. I'm guessing exhausted commuters tired of zealots shouting on packed trains are all for the new rule.

Finally, the international airport still needs some work, but it seems like one of the biggest problems is actually with staff. When we left, the airport workers were on strike, causing massive lines to get through security and immigration. [Click that link to see a pretty awesome photo of a belligerent striker in a gorilla costume] While waiting on the seemingly interminable line, I tried to hand a lost tourist card to one of the employees, who blew me off twice; somehow, some gringo ahead of me left the country without it, though some people are charged money if they lose it. An angry Carioca in front of us was screaming into his cell phone on the immigration line, spitting expletives and haranging someone about bringing the law down (Eli suspected he might have been a federal policeman). He complained to some of the staff about the line, and while they seemed sympathetic and deferential, he still had to wait with the rest of us, giving me a small hint of satisfaction. When we got to the gate, the gringoes were all completely confused and frustrated.

And lastly, TAM is awesome. I loved some of the extra goodies they gave out and the individual TV sets in each seat, and the service was excellent. It was the first time I flew direct, and though the flight was painfully long, it was otherwise relatively painless.

Security

I wasn't in the city long enough to get a good sense of this (and plus, I came at a weird time), but while I was there, there was definitely an increased police presence on the streets in Zona Sul. I was surprised to see pairs of cops at intersections, seemingly following the Rudy Giuliani method of street policing. There also seemed to be a lot more police on the beach in Ipanema, though some of them didn't seem to be too concerned with policing per se:

And while I didn't have enough time to fully gage this, I seemed to see fewer homeless people in Zona Sul, particularly in my old neighborhood, where they used to be ubiquitous. It's possible there was a recent sweep so it doesn't mean much, but I hoped that it meant more people, especially children, have been able to leave the streets.

Return to Rio

Last week, I returned to Rio for the first time since I moved back to the States in May 2009, after getting married and finding a job and trying to carve out a new life in New York. It wasn't that we wanted to wait so long to go back, but between saving up money and getting jobs and then getting vacation time, it took longer than expected, and with an invitation to my brother-in-law's wedding, we ended up waiting a year and a half to go back.

I had really mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it would mean recognizing that I missed Brazil terribly and was very upset about leaving, something that I had to deal with in order to get on track back in the US. I was also really nervous about getting mugged, much more so than when I was living there, a result of not having to deal with the daily reality of the city. But I was incredibly excited to matar saudades and see people and places I'd really missed, and to see some of the positive changes going on in the city. While I prepared for the trip, my biggest concerns were bringing enough gifts, getting clothes for the wedding, and leaving valuables at home.

Little did I know I was actually going to a war zone. But more on that tomorrow.

The oddest thing about being back was that it felt like I'd never left. Everything felt so normal; it was like putting on a pair of well worn shoes molded to your feet. Feeling so at home made leaving all the more difficult, and made me ache to move back someday, or at least be able to visit more often. I wish I'd had more time to go exploring, to go back and visit all of my favorite places, but I did have enough time to wander around Botafogo, Ipanema, and the Zona Oeste. Going back made me realize how I hadn't appreciated my time there enough, and hadn't made the best use of my time, and wished I could start over. It really helped put things into perspective.

Coming up this week and next: my take on the recent events in Rio from the ground and from an outside perspective, the changing face of the city, a Tropa de Elite 2 review, the do's and don'ts of being in a Brazilian wedding, and more.

Rio: The Movie

Back in February, I wrote about Carlos Saldanha's upcoming animated film about Rio, and thanks to my friend Quintino over at Diario do Rio, I discovered that they've just released the trailer! The film, called Rio: The Movie, looks totally charming and wonderful. The short little scene will just about break your heart with saudades, and will definitely make you smile if you've ever gone hang gliding in Sao Conrado.

I also found a nice little interview with Carlos Saldanha, in Portuguese, discussing the film:

A French Adventure in Rio

This weekend, I went with a Brazilian friend to see a French movie I knew almost nothing about, other than the fact that it took place in Rio. I warned her that it could potentially be really bad, but it turned out to be totally hilarious.

The movie, called OSS 117: Lost in Rio, is basically a French version of Austin Powers. The protagonist, Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, gets teamed up with an Israeli Mossad agent searching for a Nazi in Brazil in the 1960s. They filmed a lot of the movie in Rio, in some of my favorite parts of the city: the beaches in Recreio, a hotel in Flamengo, a mansion in Gavea, and all over Corcovado. Though Brazil is mostly a scenic backdrop for the plot (with a few opportunities for silly stereotypes, but no one escapes stereotypes in this movie), it's great fun to watch. You just have to keep in mind that it's a silly comedy and not take it too seriously. It's also a perfect opportunity to matar saudades do Rio with the beautiful scenes of the city.

For those interested, it's now playing at the Angelika in New York and the Landmark NuArt Theater in LA.

Rio's Waterfall

Yesterday, a story about a project to build a massive artificial waterfall in Rio made its rounds on the blogs (I found it via The Good Blood, via Treehugger). Swiss architecture firm RAFAA entered the project in the International Architecture Competition for the 2016 Olympics by proposing the construction of a solar panel operated artificial waterfall on one of the small islands off the coast of the city, right off the tip of the Leme neighborhood.

 
The structure, called the Solar City Tower, runs on solar power, pumping ocean water into the cascade over the island. Besides providing clean energy, the building would have observation decks, shops, dining, an amphitheater, and a bungee-jumping deck. The idea seems to be to make it both an environmental landmark as well as a tourist attraction.

 

I looked around to see if I could find any other entries for the competition, but this was all I could find. While I think it's a wonderful idea to strive to be the first zero-carbon games (good luck with that, by the way), it seems a little wacky. And despite the intent on creating something semi natural, Rio's beauty lies in its real natural wonders, and this thing just looks weird.

A better idea might be to get working on the World Cup venues, which are due sooner and are apparently behind schedule. There's no reason solar energy can't come into play there, too, even if it's not as flashy.