Series programmed by Mary Jane Marcasiano.
All screenings at
200 Hudson Street (at Canal Street)
(212) 601-1000 / www.92ytribeca.org/film
This program is made possible with the support of the Consulate General of Brazil in New York
SPECIAL EDITION: BRASIL SUMMERFEST
Tuesday and Wednesday, July 23 & 24
Following record attendance numbers and critical praise for their second installment last summer, NYC’s premiere Brazilian music and arts festival BRASIL SUMMERFEST, returns July 20-27, 2013 to treat fans to a sampling of some of Brazil’s most dynamic music artists, demonstrating the richness and diversity of the country’s contemporary music scene. The weeklong festival will showcase a diverse array of styles from the traditional rhythms of samba, forro and bossanova to emerging contemporary scenes such as tecnobrega, Brazilian hip hop, indie, among others.For the 2013 Edition BRASIL SUMMERFEST will team up with Cinema Tropical’s popular Janeiro in New York / Music+Film Series to present three documentaries that show the varied styles and subjects of Brazilian music and its affect on the culture.
Tthe series is divided into two evenings that each represent completely different genres of Brazilian music: Brega (translated as cheesy) is the subject of the first evening’s two films. Vou Rifar Meu Coracão tells the story of this popular sentimental style of song through its composers, singers and loyal audience. The second film of the evening isWaldick, Sempre no Meu Coração, a documentary about Waldick Soriano, a laborer form the North East who becomes a star of this genre in the ‘60s.
The second evening’s film, Jorge Mautner / O Filho do Holocausto, portrays the opposite side of the coin of Brazilian music. Its subject is the intellectual artist/writer Jorge Mautner, whose worked is credited as shaping the Brazilian counter-culture in the 70’s and influencing the emergence of Tropicália.
Programmed by Béco Dranoff and Mary Jane Marcasiano.
FREE ADMISSION / All films in Portuguese with English subtitles
All screenings at:
Jazz Performance Space at New School University
55 West 13th Street, 5th Floor
Brasil Summerfest is a new music and arts festival launched in July 2011. The festival aims to showcase the richness and diversity of Brazil’s music scene with a special focus on contemporary artists. This includes traditional styles of samba, forro, bossanova, maracatu as well as new emerging ones such as novo-tropicalia, manguebeat, hip hop, indie and baile-funk. This weeklong festival was founded and curated by Petrit Pula, the GM of Nublu, the club and record label outpost in the East Village and co-curated by Erika Elliott, the Artistic Director at Central Park Summerstage and music producer Beco Dranoff. Each year, the festival presents a series of events in New York City in the month of July at high profile venues in including Central Park Summerstage, City Winery, Nublu, MoMA, Drom and S.O.B.s.
Tuesday, July 23, 7:15pm
WALDICK, SEMPRE NO MEU CORAÇÃO
Directed by Patricia Pillar | Brazil, 2007, 58 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Directed by actress Patrícia Pillar, Waldick, sempre no meu coração tells the story of the amazing career trajectory of Brega star Waldick Soriano, whose own life story reflects this popular genre of his music. Soriano was born in Bahia, where he lived and worked as a truck driver, prospector and manual laborer until he was 25. After moving to São Paulo in 1959, his first album was issued in 1960 and his style of dramatic, sentimental songs made him a star in Brazil.
Tuesday, July 23, 8:45pm
VOU RIFAR MEU CORAÇÃO | I'll RAFFLE OFF MY HEART
Directed by Ana Rieper | Brazil, 2011, 78 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
I’ll Raffle off my Heart uses Brazilian sentimental and erotic imaginary based on the works of the most important composers of popular romantic music, a genre known as brega (cheesy). These songs create a true chronicle of romantic practices and the themes of the songs are very closely connected to the romantic dramas and experiences of real people who talk about their lives in this film. In addition to these individuals that open their hearts and tell their stories, the documentary also presents the composers and singers Agnaldo Timoteo, Amado Batista, Lindomar Castilho, Nelson Ned and Rodrigo Mell, from the new generation of brega music.
Wednesday, July 24, 7:15pm
JORGE MAUTNER, O FILHO DO HOLOCAUSTO | JORGE MAUTNER, SON OF THE HOLOCAUST
Directed by Pedro Bial, Heitor D'Alincourt | Brazil, 2012, 93 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Jorge Mautner - The Son of the Holocaust is not a documentary, it is an essay on the life of this artist who, in the 20th century, built the Brazilian culture of the 21st century. A visionary who foresaw and transformed into reality the exuberant future landscape of Brazilian music and culture, Mautner is better understood after this film which begins as a portrait of the artist as a young man and goes on to reveal the complexity of this life as a musician, poet, pop star and one of the most important philosophers of his generation.
Winter / Spring 2012
Cinema Tropical's "Janeiro in New York / Music + Film Series " was created in 2008 in collaboration with 92YTribeca. This popular series has built a cult following among those who love Brazilian music and culture. Over the years the series has highlighted and featured the classic artists and musical styles of Samba, Tropicália, MPB, Forró and Bossa Nova as well as contemporary genres like Baile Funk. Whether you already are a fan of Brazilian music or want to know more, this series is for you.
The Spring 2013 edition opens on March 22nd with As Canções (Songs), directed by the Brazilian documentary master Eduardo Coutinho. As canções / Songs focuses on the song itself and explores the personal relationship of eighteen Brazilians with their music.
Thursday, May 23, 7pm
JARDS
Directed by Eryk Rocha | Brazil, 2012, 93 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"The celebrated composer and musician Jards Macalé is in the recording studio where director Eryk Rocha captures him in a wide variety of poses and states of creating, imaginatively varying style and shooting formats. Fashioning an intimately attuned portrait of an artist, Rocha uses his camera as an instrument to riff with Jards in a poetic exchange between images and music. The repetitive, time-stopping process of rehearsal and the flow of energy between the two art forms create an elegiac vision of the creativity of some of Brazil’'s most beloved singers and musicians." - New Directors/New Films
Thursday, April 25, 7pm
RAUL | RAUL, O INÍCIO, O FIM E O MEIO
Directed by Walter Carvalho | Brazil, 2011, 125 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"While the world was astir with Easy Rider's motorcycles, the frenetic beat of Elvis Presley, the beatnik poets and the explosion of the counterculture, a boy form Bahia gave birth to Brazilian rock. Raul Seixas built a one-of-a-kind career and today is the artist with the most posthumous albums sold in Brazil. Through rare archival footage and meetings with family members, artists and producers, the film shows the trajectory of one of the greatest legends in Brazilian rock, who continues to mobilize fans even today, 22 years after his death." - Rio Film Festival
Friday, March 22, 7pm
SONGS | AS CANÇÕES
Directed by Eduardo Coutinho | Brazil, 2011, 92 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"Comprised of 18 'sessions' (chosen from 42 total), this astonishingly simple, emotionally compelling documentary delves into the songs that hold meaning in people's lives. Director Coutinho reverses the traditional documentary practice of bringing the camera to the subject and instead invites the subjects to come to the camera. Sitting before a simple screen, the director engages his subjects in conversation about the song they picked, developing a rapport that allows for exceptionally involving, deeply personal stories about music and its intimate connection to memory, love, loss, self-discovery, regret, death, and life." - The Museum of Modern Art
Fall 2012
Thursday, October 18, 6:45pm
COISA MAIS LINDA: Histórias e Casos da Bossa Nova
Directed by Paulo Thiago | Brazil, 2005, 105min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"An informative, musical, historical panorama on the birth of the new Bossa. The musical movement reached its peak in 1962, when it was internationalized definitively at a Carnegie Hall concert. Featuring interviews with and exclusive footage of Robert Menescal, Carlos Lyra, João Donato, Alaíde Costa, Johnny Alf, Kay Lira, Leny Andrade, Chris Delano, Sergio Ricardo, Billy Blanco." - Singapore Brazilian Film Festival
Music follows screening in the 92YTribeca Café.
Thursday, September 20, 7pm
TROPICÁLIA
Directed by Marcel Machado
| Brazil, 2012, 87min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"Marcelo Machado’s epic documentary centers on the decisive, inspiring music of Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil but radiates beyond, showing the way the Brazilian musical genre crossed over with theater, cinema, poetry and politics, and embodied both intense social and spiritual idealism and rock-star-style hedonism and commercial ambition. An intoxicating blend of biography, performance and cultural history, Tropicália may finally connect Brazil’s fabulous musicians, who enjoy a worldwide following, with the American audience they’ve deserved." –Telluride Film Festival
Music by DJ Joel Stones from Tropicalia in Furs follows screening in the 92YTribeca Café.
Winter / Spring 2012
This popular series has built a cult following among those who love Brazilian music and culture. Whether you already are a fan of Brazil or want to be, this series is for you. The 2012 Edition kicks off with an appropriate film for February, the month of Carnival in Brazil, with a film whose subject is the famed Rio Samba School, Mangueira.
The Samba that Lives within Me (O Samba que Mora em Mim) (US Premiere) begins at the Mangueira Samba School court and goes into the community of Morro da Mangueira, in Rio de Janeiro. Director Georgia Guerra Peixe brings a personal report of samba and the history of the community in this autobiographical film. In March we switch from the green and pink of Mangueira to the blue and white of Portela and give equal billing to another of Rio's samba institutions with the US Premeire of Samba Beats (As Batidas do Samba).
Thursday, May 10, 2012 at 7pm
FAVELA ON BLAST
Directed by Leandro HBL & Wesley Pentz | Brazil, 2008, 84 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles.
For over 20 years, a subculture has emerged in Brazil under society's radar. It is the culture surrounding 'funk carioca', a musical rhythm which mixes the American electronic funk of the 1980s with the most diverse influences of Brazilian music. 'Baile funk' is one of the most interesting musical movements in the world, emerging from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Directors Wesley Pentz (Diplo), teamed up with Leandro HBL in 2005 to tell the story of the MC’s, DJ’s, dancers and cultural producers who have spent their lives in the favela and are creating this vibrant scene. Together, they visited 60 favelas and conducted more than 100 interviews in order to explore the culture that surrounds Funk Carioca. In doing so, they have created a portrait of a subculture that defines the youth of Rio’s dismissed population.
Thursday, April 11, 2012 at 7pm
TEMPO REI
Directed by Lula Buarque de Hollanda, Andrucha Waddington and Breno Silveira | Brazil, 1996, 90 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Filmed in 1996, Tempo Rei celebrates 30 years of Gilberto Gil's career. In this personal film, Gil looks back on his artistic trajectory, sharing memories and personal stories. Tempo Rei was filmed in Rio De Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador and Ituaçu. It includes scenes of shows and musical meetings with special guests Filhos de Ghandi, Gil's family, Stevie Wonder (who interprets "Desafinado"), Caetano Veloso and Carlinhos Brown, among others. It includes the great successes of Gilberto Gil, such as "Madalena," "Cores Vivas," "Vamos Fugir," "Procissão" and "Expresso 2222.
Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 7pm
SAMBA BEATS | AS BATIDAS DE SAMBA
Directed by Bebeto Abrantes | Brazil, 2010, 82 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles. US PREMIERE
"The documentary Samba Beats (As Batidas do Samba) explores the evolution of the Rio samba beat since the beginning of the Twentieth Century. The film chronicles the introduction of percussive instruments and their transformation, which lead to the distinctive samba rhythm of Rio de Janeiro. With rare exceptions, the musicians, composers and percussionists of the samba world are intuitive talents without formal musical training, making the record of this memory even more important. With the participation of samba maestros Marçalzinho, Monarco and Wilson das Neves.
- It's All True International Documentary Festival
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 7pm
THE SAMBA THAT LIVES WITHIN ME | O SAMBA QUE MORA EM MIM
Directed by Georgia Guerra Peixe | Brazil, 2010, 72 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles. US PREMIERE
"Winner of Special Jury Award in the 34th International Film Festival in São Paulo, The Samba that Lives Within Me begins at the Mangueira Samba School court and goes into the community of Morro da Mangueira, in Rio de Janeiro. Director Georgia Guerra Peixe brings a personal report of samba and the history of the community in this autobiographical film." - São Paulo International Film Festival
Fall 2011 Season: September through May
Since 2009, this popular Brazilian music documentary series has exposed New York audiences to feature films whose subjects are the luminaries of the Brazilian music world past and present; Vinicius de Moraes, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Simonal, Lenine, Tom Zé, Paulinho da Viola, Nana Cayammi, Dzi Croquettes, Martinho da Vila, Maria Bethânia, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Otros Bárbaros, Arnoldo Baptista, Velha Guarda de Portela, and Humberto Teixeira. In addition to portraits of single artists some of the films diverse subjects have been historical moments like the TV festivals of 1967, the language of poetry in Brazilian music and the global influence of Brazilian music.
The Fall 2011 series continues to explore important Brazilian musicians with portraits of two great samba stars. Elza (Izabel Jaguaribe and Ernesto Baldan), an in depth look at Elza Soares, one of Brazil's original samba superstars and É Candeia (Márcia Watzl) about the short life of the Afro-Brazilian artist Candeia, whose struggle for black empowerment crosses through generations.
The 60's and 70's in Brazil are examined in two different documentaries on the period. Samba's Evening (Cély Leal) chronicles the famous musical/political "Samba Evenings" at Teatro Opinião in Rio de Janeiro during Brazil's military dictatorship. The Sons of João, the Admirable New Baiano World (Henrique Dantas) shows the influence of João Gilberto on the the revolutionary musical group Novos Baianos and explores the issues of the time such as counterculture, film, Tropicália and military dictatorship.
Thursday, December 8, 2011 at 7pm
É CANDEIA
Directed by Márcia Watzl | Brazil, 2010, 79 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"Composer Candeia passed away in 1978. He was only 43. Candeia left important works in samba, partido alto, jongo and samba-enredo. Representative of afro-brazilian tradition, he wrote sophisticated melodies and refined lyrics. His struggle for black empowerment crosses through generations. In 2008, the awarded musical É Samba na veia, É Candeia was a tribute to his life and work. Through rehearsals and shows, the documentary Candeia underscores the composer's music and career, as well as his influence on the actors." - Rio International Film Festival
Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 7pm
THE SONS OF JOÃO, THE ADMIRABLE NEW BAIANO WORLD | FILHOS DE JOÃO, ADMIRÁVEL MUNDO NOVO
Directed by Henrique Dantas | Brazil, 2009, 75 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Official website
A look at the Brazilian popular music scene in the 60s and 70s through the revolutionary musical group Novos Baianos. The film shows the influence of João Gilberto on the group's musical direction and prospects the community lifestyle adopted by them, among issues experienced by the group, such as counterculture, film, Tropicália and military dictatorship. The documentary includes rare and unpublished files and testimonials from Tom Zé, Rogério Duarte, Orlando Senna, Moraes Moreira and Pepeu Gomes.
Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 7pm
SAMBA'S EVENING | NOITADA DE SAMBA FOCO DE RESISTÊNCIA
Directed by Cély Leal | Brazil, 2010, 75 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Official website
"In 1971, under Brazil's military dictatorship, Jorge Coutinho and Leonides Bayer began holding weekly "Samba Evenings" at Teatro Opinião in Rio de Janeiro, importing popular musicians from the suburbs to entertain Rio's elite. Radical in both concept and execution, the series transformed the theater into a symbol of political and cultural resistance over its 617 performances in 13 years.Samba's Evening recounts this history through music, rare footage, and interviews with Alcione, Beth Carvalho, D. Yvone Lara, Eliana Pittman, Elton Medeiros, Gilberto Braga, Martinho da Vila, Maurício Sherman, and others whose stories powerfully evoke the period. - The Museum of Modern Art
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 7pm
ELZA
Directed by Izabel Jaguaribe and Ernesto Baldan | Brazil, 2009, 72 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"A remarkable singer and show woman, Soares was known for uniting traditional samba sounds with modern touches that lent her songs a multi-generational appeal. Elza explores the diversity of her repertoire and presents a series of encounters with renowned Brazilian artists such as Caetano Veloso, Jorge Ben Jor, Paulinho da Viola and Maria Bethânia." - Brazilian Festival of Miami
Winter-Spring 2011 Season: January through May
Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 7pm
PAULINHO DA VIOLA, MY TIME IS NOW
Directed by Izabel Jaguaribe | Brazil, 2003, 83 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"The gentle Paulinho Da Viola is one of the most loved and respected Brazilian samba composers, players and singers. He is known for his acoustic style and purity of sound and admired as a revivalist of the instrumental choro style. Belonging to the same generation of the rock-oriented tropicalistas and the post bossa nova crowd, Viola delves into the style of the traditional samba song and the sambas de morro, sung by the urban poor of Brazil's slums. The film abounds in performances, interviews with Viola's teachers and friends and wonderful jam sessions involving musical peers such as Marina Lima, Elton Medeiros, Zeca Pagodinho, Marisa Monte and Velha Guarda da Portela, to name a few." —Toronto International Latin Film Festival
Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 7pm
VINICIUS
Directed by Miguel Faria, Jr. | Brazil, 2005, 121 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Our ongoing series on Brazilian music would not be complete with out a documentary on Brazilian poet, playwright, critic, diplomat, composer, singer and lyricist Vinicius de Moraes (1913-1980). "Vinicius", directed by Miguel Faria Jr., is a cinematic portrait of the internationally famous lyricist of the Bossa Nova classics "Garota de Ipanema" and "Insensatez" and writer of the play on which the film Black Orpheus (1959) was based. His life story and musical history is told through archival images combined with interviews with members of his family, friends, partners and new musical numbers with famous Brazilian singers.
Special guest: Andy Summers
Pictured (left to right): Musician Andy Summers, Cinema Tropical's Mary Jane Marcasiano and photographer Ralph Gibson.
Wednesday, February 23 at 7pm
RIO SONATA
Directed by Georges Gachot | Brazil, 2010, 84 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles. US Premiere
Official website
"Singer Nana Caymmi is Brazilian music royalty. She is the daughter of Dorival Caymmi, Gilberto Gil's ex-wife, Milton Nascimento's muse and a childhood friend of Nelson Freire. Rio Sonata explores her body of work and her role in the history of Brazilian music in the last 50 years. It is also a love story to the city of Rio de Janeiro, Nana's hometown, with lush imagery and inspired music . An intimate glimpse into an artist's relationship to her muse and her music. With the participation of Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Maria Bethânia, Joao Donato, Mart'nalia, Erasmo Carlos,Sueli Costa, Miùcha, Dorival Caymmi, Dori Caymmi." - São Paulo International Film Festival.
Cinema Tropical Afterparty follows screening with singer/song-writer, percussionist, and Bahia native Nanny Assis.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 7pm
DZI CROQUETTES
Directed by Raphael Alvarez and Tatiana Issa | Brazil, 2009, 110 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"Dzi Croquettes, an infamous Brazilian dance-theater group at the heart of the 1960s Tropicália cultural movement, used imagination, irony, and humor to confront Brazil's violent dictatorship—and in the process revolutionized the nation's gay rights movement and changed the language of theater and dance for a generation. With Norma Bengell, César Camargo Mariano, Pedro Cardoso, Liza Minnell." - The Museum of Modern Art
Q&A with filmmakers.
Fall 2010 Season: September, October & November
Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at 7pm
LENINE IN CONTINUATION | LENINE EM CONTINUAÇÃO
Directed by ígor Iglesias González | Spain, 2009, 90 min. In Spanish and Portuguese with English subtitles
"While working on a new album, Brazilian composer Lenine calls upon his earliest experiences with music to navigate the uncertainty brought to his work in the era of downloads (and vinyl). Lenine in Continuation documents perspectives, encounters, creation and how technology serves a passion for art. Lenine was born in 1958 and in the '90s, almost 10 years into his career, became one of the greatest names in Brazilian music. Despite his late success, he has since garnered outstanding reviews, awards and fans with each new album. The film offers an intense reflection on the impact of new technology on musical creation in the midst of the decline of the CD, the reemergence of vinyl and the explosion of the internet." — Rio International Film Festival.
Screening introduced by Brazilian journalist Eduardo Graça
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 7pm
A NIGHT IN 67 | UMA NOITE EM 67
Directed by Renato Guerra and Ricardo Calil | Brazil, 2009, 93 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"The end of the III Festival of Popular Brazilian Music on TV Record on Oct 21, 1967, promised to be memorable. In the running for the main awards were Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil with Os Mutantes, Roberto Carlos, Edu Lobo and Sergio Ricardo—who famously broke his guitar on stage after boos for "Beto Bom de Bola." Restoring footage of performances of songs like "Roda Viva," "Alegria Alegria" and "Domingo no Parque," the film registers the explosion of Tropicalism, the radicalization of artistic and political fractures in the middle of the military dictatorship and the consecration of names that are idols to this day in the Brazilian music scene. This film is an insight of an effervescent time and the quality of the generation that led it." — It's All True Film Festival.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010 at 7pm
THE PETIT BOURGEOIS - A PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE | O PEQUENO BURGUÊS - FILOSOFIA DE VIDA
Directed by Edu Mansur | Brazil, 2008, 70 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"Martinho da Vila was born in 1938 in rural Rio de Janeiro, on a farm by a town called Duas Barras and spent his childhood in an extremely poor favela in the state capital. He broke album-sale records with his first recordings and to a public used to listening to boleros and covers of foreign songs, he fast became the people's choice. Martinho influenced other composers with his composition style and developed 'samba-enredo', which up until then had been closer to 'samba-exaltação' (exalting). The farm where he was born has been turned into the Martinho da Vila Institute, offering free education to children from Duas Barras and serves as a backdrop for the film." —São Paulo International Film Festival.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 7pm
TOM ZÉ: LIBERATED ASTRONAUT | TOM ZÉ: ASTRONAUTA LIBERTADO
Directed by ígor Iglesias González | Spain, 2009, 90 min. In Spanish and Portuguese with English subtitles
"Using the Musical Experimentation Workshop organized by Brazilian musician Tom Zé in Asturias, Spain, as its starting point, the film presents a retrospective of his musical discoveries and his continuing development of musical experimentation in the '70s. By piecing together historical archives and showing his performances on stages all around Brazil and Europe as well time spent in the recording studio, the film sheds light on this artist's original creative methodology." —São Paulo International Film Festival.
Co-Presented with Luaka Bop to celebrate the dual release of the Studies of Tom Zé Box and Estudando a Bossa. Afterparty at 92YTribeca Café with DJ Sean Marquand from Phenominal Handclap Band.
Summer 2010 Season: June, July & August
In 2009 Cinema Tropical teamed up with 92YTribeca to create the Music + Film Series: Janeiro In New York. Showing important documentaries on major Brazilian music stars Antonio Carlos Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Simonal, Marisa Monte, Humberto Teixeira , the series, along with live music in the 92YTribeca Café, has built a cult status among those who love Brazilian music.
The Summer 2010 edition of Cinema Tropical's Music + Film: Janeiro In New York series promises to be equally exciting with a fun look back at four groundbreaking musicians who emerged from Bahia in the 1960s: Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, Gal Costa and Gilberto Gil.
The series will present three feature documentary films made by acclaimed director Andrucha Waddington, all of which are essential viewing for any fan of Brazilian music. Short video clips on the four artists will accompany each program, along with special guests to introduce the films and live performances in the cafe after the screenings.
The first film of the series, Outros (Doces) Bárbaros takes its inspiration from a 1976 performance in São Paolo, when Veloso, Bethânia, Gal and Gil came together to create the MPB super group Os Doces Bárbaros. The film documents the group's historical re-banding in 2002.
Also by Waddington and produced by his pioneering company Conspiraçâo Filmes are Maria Bethânia - Pedrinha de Aruanda / Touchstone from Aruanda, a personal glimpse of Bethania at 60 and Viva São João! a journey into the music of the North East of Brazil led by Gilberto Gil.
Special thanks to Conspiração Filmes.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 7pm
OUTROS (DOCES) BÁRBAROS
Directed by Andrucha Waddington | Brazil, 2002, 75 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
In 1976 the Brazilian MPB super group Os Doces Bárbaros was formed when the four artists (all originally from Bahia) Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, Gal Costa and Gilberto Gil came together for a show in Sao Paulo that was the subject of the 1977 documentary by the same name. Almost 30 years later, in December 2002, the artists reunited for shows in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and director Andrucha Waddington was there to document the group's live performances, rehearsals and interviews.
Special guest DJ Greg Caz will introduce the film, and spin music from Os Doces Bárbaros era in the 92YTribeca Café after the screening.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 7pm
VIVA SÃO JOÃO!
Directed by Andrucha Waddington | Brazil, 2002, 82 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"In Andrucha Waddington's film, singer, composer and Grammy award-winner Gilberto Gil has taken on the role of tour guide. Using commentary, interviews and songs he introduces the viewer to the traditional St John's Day music festival held each June in Brazil. Through reminiscences and eye-witness testimonies, the mythical figure of Luiz Gonzaga runs through this fascinating documentary. Gonzaga was a revolutionary musician who achieved a privileged position on the Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo music scenes in the 1940s. Thanks to Gonzaga, the rather neglected north-eastern section of the country became popular centre of Brazilian folklore. Captivating musical interludes link the crystal clear images of Waddington's film, a work which illustrates the joyous and innocent mysticism of the dazzling festival." - Karlovy Vary Film Festival
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 7pm
MARIA BETHÂNIA, PEDRINHA DE ARUANDA | MARIA BETHÂNIA, TOUCHSTONE FROM ARUANDA
Directed by Andrucha Waddington | Brazil, 2007, 61 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"To celebrate the sixtieth birthday of Maria Bethânia, Caetano Veloso's sister, Salvador de Bahia decreed four days of festivities that culminated in a spectacular concert. This film is considered one of the most authentic documents on film about the life and art of the great female singer."– Rome Film Festival. Preceded by CAETANO VELOSO E GILBERTO GIL - HAITI (video clip directed by Claudio Torres and Lula Buarque de Hollanda, 1993).
Winter/Spring 2010 Season: January - April
Based on the popular acclaim of the Cinema Tropical's Music + Film Series, Cinema Tropical and 92YTribeca continue their ongoing tribute to the diversity and influence of Brazilian music, presenting New York audiences to a variety of different themes in Brazilian music and culture through cinema.
The new season of the Cinema Tropical Music+Film Series: Janeiro in New York presents four thrilling feature documentaries presenting different takes on various music genres and musicians. From the celebrated and lively samba to the tragic life of the great Afro-Brazilian star Simonal, this film series continues to explore the richness of the music from the South American country.
Simonal - No One Knows How Tough it Was directed by Claudio Manoel, Micael Langer and Calvito Leal tells the political and personal story of the fall from grace of one of Brazil's biggest stars during the dictatorship era and Paulo Henrique Fontenelle's film Loki -Arnaldo Baptista "focuses on another notorious musician of the 60's, the leader of the world famous band " Os Mutantes."
Helena Solberg's film The Enchanted Word is a reflection on how popular music is an unexpected vehicle for poetry and literature in Brazil, a country with a strong oral tradition while The Mystery of Samba directed by Carolina Jabor and Lula Buarque de Hollanda pays homage to the "Velha Guarda" founding members of Portela, one of Rio's most famous samba schools.
Celebrating the best of Brazilian music these four films feature musical appearances from Marisa Monte, Paulinho da Viola, Zeca Pagodinho, Tom Zé, Gilberto Gil, Adriana Calcanhotto, Arnaldo Antunes, Chico Buarque, Lenine, Maria Bethânia, Martinho da Vila and in addition the series will present live music performances by Brazilian artists, following the screenings.
Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 7pm
MYSTERY OF SAMBA | O MISTÉRIO DO SAMBA
Directed by Carolina Jabor and Lula Buarque de Hollanda | Brazil, 2008, 85 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"The Mystery of Samba captures the rich lives—and astonishing vivacity—of a group of veteran musicians and composers from one of Rio's most revered samba schools, Portela.
The magic of the birthplace of these singers and poets, a quaint neighborhood in Rio's North Zone, is brought to vivid life with guest appearances by samba luminaries Marisa Monte, Paulinho da Viola, and Zeca Pagodinho." - The Museum of Modern Art.
[Trailer]
Thursday, February 25, 2010 at 7pm
SIMONAL - NO ONE KNOWS HOW TOUGH IT WAS | SIMONAL - NINGUÉM SABE O DURO QUE DEI
Directed by Claudio Manoel, Micael Langer, Calvito Leal | Brazil, 2008, 86 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Watch trailer | Official website
"In an age when the talented were both revolutionary and eternal, Wilson Simonal shone like no other and innovated like few. With his charisma, kindness, swing, charm, sex appeal, and a lot of talent, he was the most successful star in Brazil and even made fans abroad. All of a sudden it was all over. Gossip, accusations, mysteries, patrols and pursuits; whatever happened to Wilson Simonal? Simonal – No One Knows How Hard It Was, portrays the impressive trajectory of a former army private that reigned sovereign in pop culture to end up ostracized for a crime of which he swore innocence." - Rio International Film Festival.
Screening introduced by journalist Scott Mitchem, who writes on design, architecture, travel and all things Rio de Janeiro & Brazil for Wallpaper* Magazine. Brazilian rhythms by DJ Greg Caz follow screening at 92YTribeca Café. Afterparty presented in association with alexadances presents.
Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 7pm
THE ENCHANTED WORD | PALAVRA (EN)CANTADA
Directed by Helena Solberg | Brazil, 2009, 84 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"Popular music is an unexpected vehicle for poetry and literature in Brazil, a country with a strong oral tradition. Helena Solberg's new film is a reflection on how these art forms interpenetrate one another. The Enchanted Word is woven from performances and interviews with singers, songwriters, and poets. Among the artists who sing and talk and perform for the camera are Adriana Calcanhotto, Arnaldo Antunes, Chico Buarque, Lirinha, Lenine, Maria Bethânia, Martinho da Vila, and Tom Zé. The film also includes rare archival images and a rich sound track." - The Museum of Modern Art
Watch trailer | Official website
Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 7pm
LOKI: ARNALDO BAPTISTA
Directed by Paulo Henrique Fontenelle | Brazil, 2008, 120 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"Cinebiography of the notorious musician Arnaldo Baptista, former lead singer of the band Mutantes. The artist portrays his life in painting, while remarkable archive footage illustrates the career of this great Brazilian rock star. Interviews with Tom Zé, Nelson Motta, Gilberto Gil, Sean Lennon and others." - Rio International Film Festival
Fall 2009 Season: September - December
Following on the success of the summer edition of Cinema Tropical's Music + Film Series, the program continues through the fall with a special edition dedicated to celebrate the best of Brazilian music. In the past few years, numerous filmmakers have turned the camera to follow and record the great tradition of Brazilian music producing various documentary feature films celebrating the diversity, vitality and influence of Brazilian music worldwide.
One of current theme that emerges in these three films selected for the series, is the important role that New York has played in Brazilian music. This bond is revealed in the intimate relationship that some musicians from the South American country have developed with city, as well as the ongoing musical exchange between New York and Brazil.
Combined together, the three films take us from the early years of Brazilian music in Hollywood in the 40's through the days of Bossa Nova, Tropicaliá and MPB and bring us right into the current "sampling " scene in New York and Brazil. Along the way we experience all the great classic songs and important artists of Brazilian music and meet with international artists like Pedro Almodóvar, David Byrne and Michelangelo Antonioni, who like so many have been influenced by the ongoing Brazilian music wave. In addition to the three acclaimed feature documentary films, the series will present live music performances by Brazilian artists, following the screenings.
Thursday, December 1, 2009 at 7pm
BEYOND IPANEMA: BRAZILIAN WAVES IN GLOBAL MUSIC | ONDAS BRASILEIRAS NA MUSICA GLOBAL
Directed by Guto Barra and Béco Dranoff | Brazil/USA, 2009, 89 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
"For decades Brazilian music has captivated audiences worldwide. What makes Brazilian music such a powerful force? Why does bossa nova still lure DJs and producers fifty years after it was created? Why does the Tropicália movement resonate so deeply with the alternative-rock crowd? Beyond Ipanema explores the Brazilian music experience outside of Brazil, accompanied by a specially curated soundtrack featuring Brazilian classics reinterpreted by a new generation of artists." – The Museum of Modern Art.
Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 7pm
THE HOUSE OF TOM - MUNDO, MONDE MONDO | A CASA DE TOM
Directed by Ana Jobim | Brazil, 2008, 58 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
The House of Tom - Mundo, Monde, Mondo is a highly personal documentary chronicling the life of Brazilian maestro Antonio Carlos Jobim from the late 70s to the time around his untimely passing in 1994. Produced and directed by his widow and photographer Ana Jobim, the film features never before released images and interviews spanning 15 years of his day-to-day life in his three favorite places in the world: New York City, Rio de Janeiro and his country house in Brazil.
This delicate documentary offers a very intimate view of the eminent musician, his family as well as charming encounters with his friends.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 7pm
WANDERING HEART | CORAÇÁO VAGABUNDO
Directed by Fernando Grostein Andrade | Brazil, 2008, 100 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
What was simply supposed to be just another tour for the release of a new record became a tough series of challenges for famed singer Caetano Veloso. This endearing documentary intimately follows Caetano from São Paulo to New York City to Japan, during the release of A Foreign Sound, his first album recorded solely in English. It takes considerably more than a week-long series of shows at Carnegie Hall, accolades in The New York Times, or the admiration of friends like Pedro Almodóvar, David Byrne and Michelangelo Antonioni, to make Caetano feel comfortable outside of Brazil. Wandering Heart is an enjoyable journey in search of answers to a series of questions that reveal Caetano in unprecedented intimacy.
Friday, June 19, 2009 at 7:30pm
THE MAN WHO BOTTLED CLOUDS | O HOMEM QUE ENGARRAFAVA NUVENS
Directed by Lírio Ferreira | Brazil, 2008, 105 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
A fascinating documentary about the multi-talented musician Humberto Teixeira who revolutionized the course of Brazilian popular music when he introduced the northeastern rhythms of Baião to the entire country in the 1940s. This feature film by acclaimed director Lirio Ferreira embarks on a search for Teixera and on its way reveals the intimate relationship that exists between music and national identity in this South American country.
Q&A with producer Denise Dummont following the screening.
2008 Season
In an unprecedented celebration of Brazil's internationally nascent cinema scene, Cinema Tropical presents Janeiro in New York, a mini-festival featuring the theatrical releases of highly acclaimed films during January and February, 2008.
Film production in Brazil has jumped to over 60 feature films a year, and directors from this South American country are of late receiving a new level of acclaim on the international film festival circuit. Recent productions such as Elite Squad (Tropa de Elite) -which is directed by José Padilla and is to be released in the U.S. in the first semester of this year by the Weinstein Company-not only have become box office sensations in Brazil, but also are reaching a broader, international audience.
One of the key figures in the revitalization of Brazilian cinema is the filmmaker Fernando Meirelles (City of God, The Constant Gardener), who is co-producer of two of the three films comprising Janeiro in New York. Like Walter Salles (Motorcycle Diaries), he is known for supporting his country's most promising projects, particulary those of young filmmakers.
Salles, also a producer of City of God, was one of the producers of noted director Karim Aïnouz's film Love for Sale (O Céu de Suely), one of the Brazilian films to have a theatrical release here in late 2007, along with Tata Amaral's Antonia. 2008 an 2009 promise to continue the wave of exciting Brazilian cinematic offerings, including Salles' Linha de Passe and Bruno Barreto's (Dona Flora and Her Two Husbands, Four Days in September) new film 174, a fiction based on the story of the infamous Bus 174 incident.
The Films of Janeiro in New York 2008
ALICE'S HOUSE | A CASA DE ALICE
| A film by Chico Texeira | Brazil, 2007, 93 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Chico Teixeira's multi-award winning first feature about contemporary life in Brazil. As portrayed by the luminous Carla Ribas, Alice, a middle-aged manicurist living in Sâo Paulo, has to overcome obstacles by the male dominated world she finds herself trapped in. Filled with profound insights about family, relationships, and trust, it is the most unlikely of Brazilian films.
A FiGa Films release.
THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION | O ANO EM QUE MEUS PAIS SAíRAM DE FÉRIAS
| A film by Cao Hamburger | Brazil, 2007, 108 min. In Portuguese and Yiddish with English subtitles
Brazil's Official Selection for the 2008 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Set in the turbulent year of 1970, this poignant and humorous coming of age story thrusts twelve year-old Mauro into a maelstrom of political and personal upheaval. When his left-wing militant parents are forced to go underground, Mauro is left in the care of his Jewish grandfather's neighbor in Sâo Paulo. Suddenly finding himself an exile in his own country, he is forced to create an ersatz family from the religiously diverse and colorful population of his new neighborhood. A second film for writer-director Cao Hamburger, The Year My Parents Went on Vacation was a selection of the 2007 Berlin Film Festival competition and was the Audience Award winner at the Rio International Film Festival.
A City Lights Pictures release.
CITY OF MEN | CIDADE DOS HOMENS
| A film by Paulo Morelli | Brazil, 2007, 110 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
In City of Men, producer Fernando Meirelles returns to the Brazilian favelas of his Academy Award-nominated film, City of God. Growing up in a culture dictated by violence and run by street gangs, teenagers Acerola (Douglas Silva) and Laranjinha (Darlan Cunha) have become close as brothers. With their eighteenth birthdays fast approaching, Laranjinha sets out to find the father he never met, while Acerola struggles to raise his own young son. But when they suddenly find themselves on opposite sides of a gang war, the lifelong friends are forced to confront a shocking secret from their shared past.
A Miramax Films release
SANTIAGO
| A film by João Moreira Salles | Brazil, 2007, 80 min. In Portuguese with English subtitles
Santiago is an extraordinary documentary feature film by Joâo Moreira Salles (brother of Walter Salles). The filmmaker interviews his family's remarkable Argentine butler, a complex, cultured man adept in diplomatic missions and scholarly research. Ultimately, Santiago becomes a profound meditation on memory, social class and the very nature of documentary filmmaking. The film was recently acquired for the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection and it will be screening at MoMA as part of their annual Documentary Fortnight series, co-presented with Cinema Tropical.
