Event Description
In the last decade, Brazil has seen a proliferation of new filmmakers, film festivals, and critics, fostered by the progressive cultural initiatives instituted between 2003 and 2016. In conjunction with Film Quarterly's just-published dossier on new Brazilian cinema and CLAS, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive presents highlights from this remarkable output, including works by Black, Indigenous, and queer filmmakers and artists from previously underrepresented regions.
Films
Lembro mais dos corvos (I Remember the Crows)
Directed by Gustavo Vinagre (Brazil, 2018)
The subject of this film, transgender actress and director Julia Katharine, tangles fact in fiction as she reflects on her relationships and her passion for cinema in this prizewinning portrait. This screening will include Katherine’s short film Tea for Two. 82 minutes, in Portuguese with English subtitles.
Indigenous Guardians: Two Documentary Films
1. Bicicletas de Nhanderú (Bicycles of Nhanderu)
Directed by Patricia Ferreira Pará Yxapy and Ariel Duarte Ortega (Brazil, 2011)
Bicycles of Nhanderu depicts the everyday life of the Mbyá-Guarani in the filmmakers' village of Koenju, in southern Brazil. It is centered on two young brothers—one of whom shares critical observations: "The whites always want to pay less and take more"—and several elders, guardians of traditional values and spirituality. 48 minutes, in Guaraní with English subtitles.
2. Zawxiperkwe Ka’a: Guardiões da Floresta (Guardians of the Forest)
Directed by Jocy Guajajara and Milson Guajajara (Brazil, 2019)
The Guardians of the Forest have taken on the perilous work of patrolling the Indigenous lands of Caru, where they encounter illegal livestock grazing, logging operations, and land grabs. As the government does not enforce their territorial demarcations, Indigenous assemblies negotiate these ongoing conflicts. 50 minutes, in Portuguese with English subtitles.
Temporada (Long Way Home)
Directed by André Novais Oliveira (Brazil, 2018)
Long Way Home focuses on the newest member of Contagem's endemic disease control crew, as she adjusts to life in a new city while gradually shedding the sadness that followed her there. 113 minutes, in Portuguese with English subtitles. This content can be viewed anywhere except for Brazil and France.
Ela volta na quinta (She Comes Back on Thursday)
Directed by André Novais Oliveira (Brazil, 2014)
She Comes Back on Thursday depicts the long-simmering dissatisfaction of a married couple and its effect on the lives of their two adult sons. This heartfelt film (performed by the director's own family) is "a hymn to the enduring rhythms of working-class life" (Frieze). 108 minutes, in Portuguese with English subtitles.