Third Brazilian Film Fest kicks off at BMICH

By Divya Thotawatte

The third Brazilian Film Festival 2019 hosted by Embassy of Brazil Charge d’affaires Winston Alexander Silva began yesterday (26 September) at BMICH bringing a satisfactory dose of the country’s colourful culture to steal the hearts of Sri Lankan movie-lovers. 

The event which is held for four days until 29 September, will be opened to public on 27 September. It is organised by the Embassy of Brazil with the objective of bringing the Brazilian culture close to the hearts of the people in Sri Lanka. The film festival is to cover a wide range of genres including drama, documentary, biography and comedy, giving the audience an opportunity to have a thorough experience of the art and life of Brazil through the diversity of movies. 

The films ‘Oscar Niemeyer – Life is a Breath of Air’ (2007) and ‘Linha de Passe’ (Offside) (2008) will be privately screened to a limited audience on 26 September. While the former is a documentary on the life, work and philosophy of 20th century Brazilian revolutionary architect Oscar Niemeyer, the latter is a film written and directed by internationally renowned Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles. It portrays the lives of Dario, Denis, Dinho and Reginaldo, four half-brothers that together with their single mother struggle to survive and follow their dreams to get a better life in a poor neighbourhood in the periphery of São Paulo. 

‘Ó Paí, Ó’ (Look at That) (2007), a Brazilian comedy and musical, along with ‘Elite Squad: The Enemy Within’ (2015) drama which is the all-time largest box office ticket seller and highest-grossing film in Brazil will be screened on 27 September. 

The romantic comedy ‘If I were you – 2’ (2009) and ‘Olga’ (2004), a film based upon the true story of Olga Benário will be screened on 28 September. Benário was the German-born wife of Brazilian communist leader Luís Carlos Prestes. 

‘Monica’s Gang: An Adventure Through Time’, a sci-fi movie where young children have to go back in time to save Earth, will be screened on 29 September, the last day of the Brazilian film festival. On the same day, ‘Central Station’ (1998) comedy drama, where a bitter former schoolteacher Dora goes on a journey with a young orphan boy to find his father, will be screened. 

The first film of each day will begin at 3:30 p.m. while the second screening will begin at 6 p.m. 

The Brazilian Film Festival 2019 is a part of the Brazilian Audiovisual Promotion Program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and will be followed by the Third Brazilian Film Festival that is to happen in Kandy and Matara.