Brazzil
December 2002
Cultural Pulse

Plays, movies &
best-seller books

PLAYS

RIO

Amor e Erotismo ­ Contos da Comunidade Kaxinawa (Love and Eroticism - Short stories of the Kaxinawa Indian Community)—Several sketches based in the folkloric stories by an Indian tribe from the Brazilian Peruvian border. Written, directed and interpreted by Rosana Nieto.

Fé Na Parada (It's Tough Having Faith)—How the day-to-day disappointments change a naïve housewife's outlook on life, including her faith in humankind. Written by Rogério Blat, directed by Ernesto Piccolo, with the students from the Oficina de Criação de Espetáculo.

A Rua da Amargura (Bitterness Street)—Jesus Christ's life according to the circus show from 1902, O Mártir do Calvário (The Calvary Martyr). Adapted by Arildo de Barros, directed by Gabriel Villela, with the Grupo Galpão.

Buda (Buddha)—Comedy. Decided to get a man she loves, a young woman appeals to religion. Monologue by Clarice Niskier. Directed by Domingos Oliveira, with Clarice Niskier.

SÃO PAULO

A Terra (The Earth)—Based on Euclides da Cunha Os Sertões (Rebellion in the Backlands) published in 1902. This is the first act—it lasts 3.5 hours—of Guerra dos Canudos (Canudos War), which have two more acts in the coming year: Homem (Man) and A Luta (The Struggle) Adapted and directed by José Celso Martinez Corrêa, with Aury Porto, Fransérgio Araújo, Renée Gumiel, Marcelo Drummond, and Sylvia Prado.

Alento (Courage)—After losing her home to a fire, a woman finds an abandoned house where she raises her daughter. Written by Alessandro Toller, directed by André Grynwask, with the Centro Momentâneo de Teatro ensemble.

Bis (Encore)—Two characters, Ei and Psiu live in a situation in which words and gestures are continually repeated. Written by Luiz Cabral, directed by Beth Lopes, with Clarissa Kiste and Kiko Bertholini.

Cabaret Brecht - Mahagonny—The 1930 Bertolt Brecht/Kurt Weill play The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny shown in a cabaret-like atmosphere. Directed by Myrian Muniz, with the Grupo Mangará.

Não Me Contes Verdades  (Don't Tell Me Truths)—Comedy. A group of people are shown talking while waiting to be seen by a doctor in a free medical clinic. Written by Tácito Rocha, directed by Luiz Serra and Marcus Cardelíquio, with Ênio Gonçalves, José Ferro, Vânia Barboni, and Lourdes de Moraes.

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MOVIES

Just-released or re-released English-language movies:

11'09"01 - September 11 (11 De Setembro), Mr. Deeds (A Herança de Mr. Deeds), Bourne Identity (A Identidade Bourne), Birthday Girl (A Isca Perfeita), My Big Fat Greek Wedding (Casamento Grego), Windtalkers (Códigos de Guerra), Orange County (Correndo Atrás do Diploma), Blood Work (Dívida de Sangue), Sweet Home Alabama (Doce Lar), Bloody Saunday (Domingo Sangrento), Red Dragon (Dragão Vermelho), Swimfan (Fixação), Full Frontal (Full Frontal), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter e a Câmara Secreta), Undisputed (O Imbatível), The Triumph of Love (O Triunfo do Amor), Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (Pequenos Espiões 2: A Ilha dos Sonhos Perdidos), Rollerball (Rollerball), Scooby-Doo (Scooby-Doo), Stuart Little 2 (Stuart Little 2), Ultimate X (Ultimate X), Moonlight Mile (Vida Que Segue)

Edifício Master (Master Building)—Brazil/2002—A documentary showing a week in the lives of people living in the Master building in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro. Directed by Eduardo Coutinho.

Janela da Alma (Soul's Window)—Brazil/2001—Documentary on vision problems and its impact on life and creativity. Among the interviewees: writer José Camargo, German filmmaker Win Wender, and musician Hermeto Pascoal. Directed by João Jardim and Walter Carvalho.

Lara (Lara)—Brazil/2002—The story of actress Odete Lara, a Brazilian sex symbol in the '60s. Her spritual journey and fight to excel as an artist. Directed by Ana Maria Magalhães, with Maria Manoela, Christine Fernandes, Caco Ciocler, and Tuca Andrada

Madame Satã (Madam Satan)—Brazil-France/2002—The life of João Francisco dos Santos, who became famous in the 1930s and 1940s in Rio interpreting Madame Satã, a character created by him. Black, poor and gay, the artist spent 10 years in jail before rising to fame. Directed by Cearense (from Ceará state) Karin Aïnouz, with Lázaro Ramos, Marcélia Cartaxo, Flávio Bauraqui, Fellipe Marques, Renata Sorrah, Floriano Peixoto, and Emiliano Queiroz.

Cidade de Deus (City of God)—Brazil/2002—Based on Paulo Lins's novel of same name. An inside picture of Rio's favela Cidade de Deus. How Dadinho e Buscapé grow up in world of drugs and crime. Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund, with unknown actors, including Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino da Hora, Seu Jorge, Matheus Nachtergaele, and Phellipe Haagensen.

Adágio ao Sol (Adage to the Sun)—Brazil/1996—A couple in the early 1930s try to maintain a difficult relationship made even harder by the arrival of a young man. The background is the São Paulo Revolution of 1932. Directed by Xavier de Oliveira, with Cláudio Marzo, Rossana Ghessa, Edwin Luisi..

Paixão de Jacobina (Jacobina's Passion)—Brazil/2002—Based on Videiras de Cristal (Crystal Vines) a book by Luiz Antonio de Assis Brasil. Jacobina is a young healer who preaches that people can save their souls by searching for equality and happiness. She foresees that the world will be consumed by purifying flames. Directed by Fábio Barreto, with Letícia Spiller, Thiago Lacerda, Alexandre Paternost, Antonio Calloni, and Caco Ciocler.

Abril Despedaçado (Broken April, Behind the Sun in the English Version)—Brazil-Switzerland-France/2001—Based on Albanian author Ismail Kadaré's book Broken April. In the Brazilian Northeast, following a family tradition, a young man is compelled to avenge his brother's murder. The youngster, however, decides to question this blood code. Directed by Walter Salles, with Rodrigo Santoro, José Dumont, and Rita Assemany.

Uma Onda no Ar (A Wave in the Air)—Brazil/2002—It seems like a war in the big favela (shantytown). The police start to go up the hill while a pirate radio station tells the population how to react. It's the radio station that the police are looking for. Directed by Helvécio Ratton, with Alexandre Moreno, Adolfo Moura, Babu Santana, Benjamim Abras, Priscila Dias, Edyr Duqui.

O Príncipe (The Prince)—Brazil/2002—After living two decades in Paris, Gustavo comes back to São Paulo, his hometown, and finds out that he doesn't know anything and anyone anymore. Directed by Ugo Giorgetti, with Eduardo Tornaghi, Bruna Lombardi, Ricardo Blat, Otávio Augusto, and Ewerton de Castro.

Janela da Alma (Window of the Soul)—Brazil/2001—Directed by João Jardim and Walter Carvalho. With interviews with musician Hermeto Pascoal, writer José Camargo and filmmaker Wim Wenders, this documentary probes how blind people and those with sight problems deal with the world.
 

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BEST-SELLER BOOKS

FICTION

1. Seu Creysson Vidia i Obria (Objetiva) Casseta & Planeta (10 - 1)

2. O Homem Duplicado (Companhia das Letras) José Saramago (0 - 0)

3. A Intimação (Rocco) John Grisham (1 - 14)

4. Cidade de Deus (Companhia das Letras) Paulo Lins (4 - 8)

5. Harry Potter e a Câmara Secreta (Rocco) J.K. Rowling (8 - 109)

6. As Mentiras Que os Homens Contam (Objetiva) Luis Fernando Veríssimo (3 - 99)

7. Harry Potter e o Cálice de Fogo (Rocco) J.K. Rowling (5 - 70)

8. Os Bórgias (Record) Mario Puzo (7 - 15)

9. Harry Potter e o Prisioneiro de Azkaban (Rocco) J.K. Rowling (6 - 90)

10. A Canção de Tróia (Bertrand Brasil) Coleen McCullough (0 - 0)

NONFICTION

1. Quem Mexeu no Meu Queijo? (Record) Spencer Johnson (1 - 100)

2. O Sentido da Vida (Sextante) Bradley Trevor Greive (3 - 17)

3. A Semente da Vitória (Senac) Nuno Cobra (5 - 73)

4. Corinthians: É Preto no Branco (DBA) Washington Olivetto e Nirlando Beirão (2 - 5)

5. Os Cem Segredos das Pessoas de Sucesso (Sextante) David Niven (6 - 4)

6. Um Dia Daqueles (Sextante) Bradley Trevor Greive (7 - 80)

7. Você É Insubstituível (Sextante) Augusto Jorge Cury (0 - 18)

8. Estação Carandiru (Cia. das Letras) Drauzio Varella (8 - 141)

9. Os Cem Segredos das Pessoas Felizes (Sextante) David Niven (10 - 55)

10. A Casa da Mãe Joana (Campus) Reinaldo Pimenta (4 - 17)

The first number inside the parentheses tells the position the book was in the previous week. The second number indicates for how many weeks the book is in the list.

According to Isto É Gente - December 2, 2002 www.istoegente.com.br