To celebrate the strength and vitality of the Brazilian film industry, Museum of the Moving Image will present a new ongoing series, O Brazil: Contemprary Brazilian Cinema. Featuring works by established directors and emerging filmmakers, this showcase will present a bird’s eye view of a thriving film scene. The first installment, from November 22 through December 20, 2014, will include three films: My Mother Is a Character (Minha mãe é uma peça), starring the popular theater and TV comedian Paulo Gustavo in Brazil’s biggest box-office hit of 2013; Casa Grande, Fellipe Barbosa ‘s coming-of-age drama that has been a hit at several international film festivals; and The Music According to Antonio Carlos Jobim (A música segundo Tom Jobim), a musical tribute to the artist who popularized bossa nova, by Cinema Novo pioneer Nelson Pereira dos Santos.
The series is organized by guest curator Marcela Goglio. “Brazilian film production has grown exponentially in the last decade, in part as a result of new cultural policies put into place by Gilberto Gil, the Minister of Culture,” said Goglio. “While masters like the recently deceased Edoardo Coutinho or Nelson Pereira dos Santos continued to make films, an outpouring of innovative works by a new generation of directors from regions beyond Rio has been accompanied by a hugely popular body of commercial films that sprouted from a strong television industry.”
O Brazil is presented in collaboration with Cinema Tropical.
This program is made possible through major support from the Ford Foundation. Additional support is provided by Con Edison.
Press contact: Tomoko Kawamoto, tkawamoto@movingimage.us / 718 777 6830
SCHEDULE FOR ‘O BRAZIL: CONTEMPORARY BRAZILIAN CINEMA, NOVEMBER 22–DECEMBER 20, 2014
Screenings will take place in the Sumner M. Redstone Theater or the Celeste and Armand Bartos Screening Room at Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35 Avenue in Astoria, and are included with paid Museum admission and are free for Museum members at the Film Lover level and above unless otherwise noted. For information about Museum membership and to join, visit http://movingimage.us/support/membership. Additional event information is available here.
My Mother Is a Character (Minha mãe é uma peça)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 7:00 P.M.
Dir. Andre Pellenz. 2013, 84 mins. DCP. In Portuguese with English subtitles With Paulo Gustavo, Herson Capri, Ingrid Guimaraes, Sueli Franco. This rambunctious mix of slapstick and screwball was the biggest Brazilian box office hit in 2013. Paulo Gustavo, the popular theater and TV comedian, stars as a high-strung mom in desperate need of a break, who flees her home and leaves her grown children to fend for themselves.
Casa Grande
With writer/editor Karen Sztajnberg in person
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6, 7:00 P.M.
Dir. Fellipe Barbosa. 2014, 114mins. DCP. In Portuguese with English subtitles. With Marcello Novaes, Suzana Pires, and Thales Cavalcanti. Seventeen-year-old Jean strives to escape his privileged life within Rio’s social elite. Though Barbosa’s beautifully written feature debut is very personal, telling the story of his family’s spiral into bankruptcy, it also boldly explores the class difference and racism, an urgent though still new conversation in Brazil today.
The Music According to Antonio Carlos Jobim (A música segundo Tom Jobim)
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 7:00 P.M.
Dirs. Nelson Pereira dos Santos, Dora Jobim. 2012, 88 mins. Digital projection. With musical performances by Judy Garland, Gal Costa, Caetano Veloso, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Oscar Peterson, Diana Krall, Chico Buarque, and Lisa Ono. The pure joy of Tom Jobim’s music, is celebrated in this musical tribute from one master to another. Dos Santos, the father of modern Brazilian cinema, has crafted a documentary that is free of commentary or interviews.
MUSEUM INFORMATION
Museum of the Moving Image (movingimage.us) advances the understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation of the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media. In its stunning facilities—acclaimed for both its accessibility and bold design—the Museum presents exhibitions; screenings of significant works; discussion programs featuring actors, directors, craftspeople, and business leaders; and education programs which serve more than 50,000 students each year. The Museum also houses a significant collection of moving-image artifacts.
Hours: Wednesday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday, 10:30 to 8:00 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Holiday hours: The Museum will be open Tuesday, November 11 (Veterans’ Day) 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Film Screenings: Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays, and as scheduled. Tickets for regular film screenings are included with paid Museum admission and are free for members at the Film Lover level and above.
Museum Admission: $12.00 for adults; $9.00 for persons over 65 and for students with ID; $6.00 for children ages 3–12. Children under 3 and Museum members are admitted free. Admission to the galleries is free on Fridays, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tickets for special screenings and events may be purchased in advance online at movingimage.us.
Location: 36-01 35 Avenue (at 37 Street) in Astoria.
Subway: M (weekdays only) or R to Steinway Street. Q (weekdays only) or N to 36 Avenue.
Program Information: Telephone: 718 777 6888; Website: movingimage.us
Membership: http://movingimage.us/support/membership or 718 777 6877
The Museum is housed in a building owned by the City of New York and located on the campus of Kaufman Astoria Studios. Its operations are made possible in part by public funds provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the New York State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Natural Heritage Trust (administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation). The Museum also receives generous support from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. For more information, please visit movingimage.us.