Festival do Rio

From September 24th to October 8th, Rio de Janeiro hosted its annual International Film Festival. It was certainly no Cannes or Sundance, but it was a gem, one of the highlights of my first seven weeks here, and, most importantly, my first film festival. Over the course of the two weeks, over 300 films from 60 different countries where shown. After obtaining an official program, translating the Portuguese descriptions as best as I could, and asking recommendations from others, I ended up selecting and watching four (there were three others that I had hoped to see but unfortunately didn't). Here are my reviews and rankings (just click on the titles to view the trailers):

4. Hotel Atlântico (Suzan Amaral, Brazil, 2009): Based on the book by João Gilberto Noll and from acclaimed Brazilian director Suzana Amaral, this was one of the headliners of the festival as it was the first film by Amaral in over eight years. The story follows a well-known Brazilian actor, who finds himself disillusioned and distraught with his life, as he spontaneously embarks on a journey without a destination. Throughout his travels in southern Brazil, he encounters a spectrum of people in a variety of situations. Each situation possesses no real connection or relation to the rest, and abrupt transitions between each make it that much harder to cohere them all. In a nutshell, the film is an emotional and existential rollercoaster ride wrought with ambiguity and confusion. To sum up my reaction (and the reaction of my friends): the majority of the cab ride home was spent in silence, and during the moments where one of us did talk, all we did was ask questions. I'm still not quite sure what to think of the film...which it probably one the key reasons it falls at the end of my list.

3. Beyond Ipanema: Brazilian Waves in Global Music (Guto Barra and Béco Dranoff, Brazil, 2009): Carmen Miranda, Samba, "Girl from Ipanema," Favela Funk, João Gilberto, Basanova, Tom Zé: all Brazilian artists, songs, and styles that have had a profound impact on music around the world as this documentary clearly shows. This was the first film I saw (I actually went to its premiere), and it was very informative about a huge and significant part of Brazilian and Carioca culture, how it has evolved within Brazil, and how it has subsequently spread across the globe. Moreover, it was just a lot of fun (you may find yourself busting moves you never thought you had) and is definitely worth seeing. But don't worry if you can't find it at the video store. In fact, just make plans to fly to Loma and attend a music class at Loma Elementary where Nancy Harris will be showing part of the film to her students.

2. Séraphine (Martin Provost, France, 2008): I wanted to see this film from the moment I read its description and watched its trailer. I had to wait until its last showing, but it was absolutely worth it. Winner of the 2008 César (the French Oscar) for best picture and actress, the film follows the true story of the French artist, Séraphine Louis. An ordinary house cleaner, who possesses no formal training, Séraphine paints vibrant and massive works of primitive art during the nighttime hours. After being discovered by German art collector, Wilhelm Uhde, during World War I, she emerges as one of the world's best primitive artists. Yet while the shear size and vibrancy of her work help to set her apart, it is perhaps the inspiration behind her art that defines her as an artist and human being. Deeply religious, Séraphine draws inspiration from her guardian angel, who guides her through each work. But even though her inspiration produces incredible results, her work begins to take a toll of Séraphine's psyche, and she slowly loses her mental grip with each painting. For any person who has ever asked the question 'what drives a great artist?', this film certainly will give you an answer. It will subsequently change the way you view an artist and their art, and it could also change the way you view the world.

1. Eu Sou Feliz/I Am Happy (Soraya Umewaka, Japan/Brazil/United States, 2009): By far the best film I saw. A documentary, it follows the lives of six ordinary individuals living in Rio de Janeiro's infamous favelas. For those who have seen City of God and/or Elite Squad, this film is not only a good complement but, in my opinion, just flat out better at depicting what really goes on in a favela. While each are distinct, the lives of the six individuals come together to paint a fair and accurate picture of Brazilian society at large and the complex dynamics that exist between the varying races and social classes-dynamics that many Brazilians are uncomfortable acknowledging, much less dealing with. In the end, the film, like Séraphine, challenges the way in which view the world, the societies that make up them, and the various dynamics that have come to be accepted by all. Equally as impressive as the film's handling and telling of its subject is the way in which it was made. After graduating from Princeton with an A.B. in Comparative Politics and subsequently winning Princeton's Labouisse Fellowship, Soraya Umewaka began to make documentaries full-time about social development projects and challenges across the world. Three years after graduation, she has eight films in her canon. While she has started her own foundation (Street Witness), I don't know if and when her films will be made available for the larger public. Regardless, if you ever get the chance to see this or any of her other films, don't hesitate in making the most of it.

Below, in no particular order, are the three films that I wanted to see but didn't get around to doing so. Bright Star and New York, I Love You are scheduled to be shown in the States this fall, so I imagine some of you may see them before I do.

The Horse Boy (Michel Orien Scott, United States, 2009): The documentary tells the story of a British journalist and his American wife as they deal with the autism of their seven-year-old son, Rowan. The couple discovers that Rowan responds to horses, prompting the family to travel across the globe to Mongolia all in hopes of treating Rowan's condition. It was on my "Need to See" list from beginning. Even though the festival has ended, it still is.

Bright Star (Jane Campion, United Kingdom/Australia, 2009): To Whom It May Concern: WARNING-MASSIVE CHICK FLICK. To Those It May Also Concern: If you enjoyed the likes of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility and enjoy British literature and poetry in general, chances are you will like this. Directed by the same woman who did The Piano, the film tells the story of the infamous love poet John Keats and the woman who was, as the title says, his "bright star." Overall, I feel it has the makings of a winner.

New York, I Love You (Mira Nair, Fatih Akin, Yvan Attal, Allen Hughes, Shekhar Kapur, Shunji Iwai, Joshua Marston, Natalie Portman, Brett Ratner, Wen Jiang, Randall Balsmeyer, France/United States, 2009): The New York City version of the Paris classic, Paris Je t'aime, the film is a compilation of shorts about finding love in NYC. Two of my friends ended up seeing the film. One said it was the best film he saw during the festival. The other said Hotel Atlântico was better. What that says about the film I have no idea. All the more reason to see it for yourself.