Taken by the spirit of Neal’s Brazilian Night at St.Ex yesterday (if I, once again, told you a story about being a Brazilian bridesmaid, and then spilt a beer over you during a twirl-I apologize) I stopped by the Brazilian embassy site today (if you don’t frequent embassy websites-start doing so now) and discovered (aside from the fact that Gilberto Gil is coming to DC! In June!) this:
May 16 -18, 2008
BRAZILIAN DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL WEEKEND
FREE ADMISSION
That would be this weekend kids.
Location:
At The Greenberg Theatre
4200 Wisconsin Ave, NW (at Van Ness)
Washington, DC 20016
Metro station: Tenleytown/AU (Red Line)
On the (mostly bleak, but very interesting) agenda:
Friday, May 16th
6:30 pm - HERCULES 56
(HÉRCULES 56)
Director: Silvio Da-Rin
Antonioli & Amado Produções
Contemporary interviews with some of the activists opposed to Brazil’s military dictatorship, who in 1969 kidnapped the US Ambassador to Brazil, Charles Elbrick, and the political prisoners who were released from prison in exchange for the Ambassador’s liberty, who were flown out of Brazil to Mexico on a Hercules 56 army cargo plane. (93 min, in Portuguese with English subtitles. NR).
Reception to follow
Saturday, May 17th
6:30 pm - SERGIO VIEIRA DE MELLO: EN ROUTE TO BAGHDAD
(SERGIO VIEIRA DE MELLO: A CAMINHO DE BAGDÁ)
Director: Simone Duarte
First Run Features
The Brazilian UN diplomat, Sergio Vieira de Mello, was a respected and talented mediator for the United Nations. Kofi Annan selected him to be the UN envoy in Iraq. On August 19th, 2003, a bomb exploded outside the UN headquarters in Baghdad. Twenty-two people were killed, including Sergio Vieira de Mello. Featured here are the memories and stories from former colleagues of the talented and respected diplomat. (56 min, in English. NR).
A Brazilian snack will be served between films
8:00 pm - XAVANTE STRATEGY
(ESTRATÉGIA XAVANTE)
Director: Belisario Franca
Giros Produções
A Xavante indigenous nation developed a surprising strategy to preserve their territory and keep their traditions untouched. Young Xavante children were sent to live and study among the “white people” in the 1960’s. Years later, moving statements tell how they absorbed the culture and customs of the “whites” in order to protect their age-old lifestyle. (86 min, in Portuguese with English subtitles. NR)
Sunday, May 18th
6:30 pm - NANA’S DIARY
(DIÁRIO DE NANÁ)
Director: Paschoal Samora
Mixer Produções Cinematográficas
A percussionist with gifted creativity, Naná Vasconcelos began a career in music over forty years ago, playing bongos and maracas when he was only twelve. He then bought a drum set and taught himself. In his early days in Brazil, he worked as a drum set player with Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Milton Nascimento and Caetano Veloso. He was voted Down Beat’s best percussionist in the world for nine consecutive years from 1983 to 1991. He has contributed to thirty-six film soundtracks, including Jim Jarmusch’s “Down by Law”. This documentary features the research he did regarding folk music in the northeast of Brazil, traveling into the countryside to learn more about its roots, showing how rich Brazilian culture is. (60 min, in Portuguese with English subtitles. NR)
A Brazilian snack will be served between films
8:00 pm – SANTIAGO
( SANTIAGO)
Director: João Moreira Salles
Videofilmes
Santiago was an educated man who, in addition to his work as a butler, produced some 60,000 pages of stories documenting his surroundings as well as tales of aristocratic lifestyles, including that of the house in which he himself served. Through his personal voice-over, Salles sheds light on his family and childhood, and on the reasons why the film took so long to complete. The result is an elegant mosaic with two parallel narratives, dealing with universal topics such as memory, identity, and documentary filmmaking. Santiago has been featured at some of the most important documentary film festivals and recently took the Grand Prize at Cinéma du Réel in Paris. (80 min, in Portuguese with English subtitles. NR)
Man up.
