Lula, Son of Brazil
Lula, Son of Brazil | |
---|---|
Antonio Pinto | |
Production company | Luiz Carlos Barreto Produções Cinematográficas |
Distributed by | Downtown Filmes |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 128 minutes |
Country | Brazil |
Language | Portuguese |
Budget | R$17 million |
Box office | $3,785,593[1] |
Lula, Son of Brazil (
The film was a commercial and critical failure.[6][7] Critics charged that it was election propaganda,[8][9] fostering a cult of personality.[10]
Plot
The film begins in October 1945 in
Aristides' two families live in the same house and, as time goes on, they struggle to survive. Lula and his siblings attend elementary school and work as street vendors. Later, Lindu leaves the alcoholic and abusive Aristides and moves with her children to São Paulo. Lula receives certification as a lathe operator and gets a formal job in the automobile industry, where he loses a finger in a press. This and his brother Ziza's arrest lead him into trade union activism, which made him nationally known in a period when such activities were forbidden. Lula is incarcerated for his activities, just as his mother dies.
Production
Based on the book of the same name by journalist Denise Paraná,
João Miguel, better known for his role in
The film was produced by Luiz Carlos Barreto and Paula Barreto, father and sister of the director, respectively.
The shooting of the film began in late January 2009 in the Pernambuco municipality of Garanhuns, Lula's hometown.[18] In February, the second phase of the production began in Santos and Guarujá, cities on the coast of São Paulo where Lula spent most of his childhood.[15] The shooting was predicted to end on March 21, 2009. The film was then edited in time to premiere in some film festivals prior to its wide release in Brazilian cinemas on January 1, 2010.
Cast
Main cast:
- Rui Ricardo Dias as Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
- Glória Pires as Dona Lindu
- Juliana Baroni as Marisa Letícia
- Cléo Pires as Lourdes da Silva
- Milhem Cortaz as Aristides
- Sóstenes Vidal as Ziza
Supporting cast:
- Guillerme Tortólio as adolescent Lula
- Felipe Falanga as young Lula
- Rayana Cavalho as Dona Mocinha
- Lucélia Santos as Lula's teacher
- Antonio Pitangaas Mr. Cristóvão
- Celso Frateschi as Mr. Álvaro
- Marcos Cesana as Cláudio Feitosa
- Clayton Mariano as Lambari
- Mariah Teixeira as Marinete
- Suzana Costa as midwife
- Jones Melo as salesman
- José Ramos as Pau de Araradriver
- Antonio Saboia as Vavá
- Eduardo Acaiabe as Geraldão
- Marat Descartes as Arnaldo
- Nei Piacentini as Dr. Miguel
- Luccas Papp as Lambari (age 15)
- Vanessa Bizarro as Lourdes (age 13)
- Maicon Gouveia as Jaime
- Jonas Mello as Tosinho
- Fernando Alves Pinto as journalist
- Fernanda Laranjeira as Tiana
Historical background
Some facts of Lula's early life coincides with several aspects of the
Among the facts of Lula's life and the history of Brazil that "fits" together, according to the author, are the death of his first wife by malpractice during labour at the same time that Brazil had one of the highest rates in the world of death in childbirth, the migration of his family to São Paulo at the same time which Brazil was struggling with its largest internal migration wave and Lula's father developing alcoholism at the same time there was an epidemic incidence of this disease in the Northeast region of Brazil.[12]
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by
Release
Although it had not been chosen by the competitive selection of the 42nd Brasilia Film Festival, the film premiered at the event's opening in the Brazilian federal capital on November 18, 2009. At least 300 employees of the presidential palace Palácio do Planalto attended.[21] In Lula's home state of Pernambuco, the film premiered in Recife on November 19, being attended by several politicians and the president's relatives. On November 28, Lula himself attended the film's premiere in São Bernardo do Campo, the city where he began his political activities. The film also premiered in João Pessoa and Rio de Janeiro later in 2009.[22] According to Regina Rito's gossip column on newspaper O Dia, the film's international premiere was held in Washington, D.C. at the request of American president Barack Obama.[23] On January 1, 2010, the film received its wide release, debuting at over 500 cinemas all over Brazil.[24]
Unionized workers were able to purchase the film's tickets for 5 reals (about 2,5 U.S. dollars) between November 20 and December 31, 2009, after a deal made between labour unions Central Única dos Trabalhadores and Força Sindical and the producers. Since its wide release on January 1, 2010, unionized workers were able to buy tickets with a 50% discount.[25]
The film's DVD release took place in May 2009. It has affordable prices, from 10 to 12 reais (around 5 to 7 U.S. dollars), in order to counteract
On September 23, 2010, Lula, Son of Brazil premiered in
The film has two scheduled dates for television premiere.
Reception
Public
Lula, Son of Brazil was a commercial flop, grossing only two million reals (around one million U.S. dollars) in its first week of release,[29] being watched by no more than 200,000 people.[30] In spite of the controversy surrounding the film, it was still the second in box office receipts that week, behind Avatar. As of January 8, the film had been watched by almost 320,000 people.[31] At the end of its theatrical run, the film had sold 852,212 tickets, making it only the 7th highest-grossing national production of 2010 in Brazil.[32]
After watching the film in
Critical response
Lula, Son of Brazil has an approval rating of 26% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 19 reviews, and an average rating of 5.1/10.[34] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 44 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[35]
Alexei Barrionuevo, correspondent for The New York Times in Brazil, criticized the film for "failing to mention that Lula abandoned his girlfriend, Miriam Cordeiro, when she was six months pregnant". Lurian Cordeiro, Lula's daughter with Miriam, sent a letter to the editor saying that her mother was not "abandoned". Cordeiro said that Lula not only paid for all of her mother's medical costs, but also legally recognized her as his daughter on the very day after her birth. She also noted the fact that none of Lula's children are mentioned in the film, questioning that "If the movie is about my father's path from impoverished immigrant to trade union leader, where do my brothers and I fit in?". She finished the letter by saying that she "loved the film" and that she agrees "with President Obama: Lula is the man!".[36]
On March 15, 2010, Brazilian magazine Veja made a list of the top 10 worst Brazilian films of all time, and Lula, Son of Brazil was featured in ninth place. The list's author, Pollyane Lima e Silva, stated: "The director, Fábio Barreto, went on to say that his intention was not to be faithful to reality, but was, instead, 'to do a melodrama'. And he was successful, since many scenes shown in the film never happened, and others were exaggerated so that Lula could seem like a hero".[37]
Political criticism
The film has been criticized by the Brazilian press for being released in an electoral year, while Lula was trying to elect his successor
The biggest criticism, however, is that the film ignores less flattering aspects of Lula's career.[41][42] According to O Globo's Ricardo Noblat, the film represents an attempt to eliminate all of Lula' failures, making him look like the almost perfect protagonist, showing him in an overly romanticized and heroic role. This would also have electoral purposes, according to him.[43] The film was also criticized by opposition politicians, the press and by many Brazilians because many of the companies that invested in the film (such as the heavy construction firms Odebrecht and Camargo Correa, as well as electric utilities) depend on government concessions and have major contracts with the federal government.[41]
The New York Times' Barrionuevo also said that the film may have an impact in the presidential election. He noted that while Lula can not run for re-election, "he hopes to transfer his popularity to his
Glória Pires, which played Lula's mother in the film, said that Lula, Son of Brazil was a victim of political prejudice.[45] According to her, "people saw another movie (...); the film I was in was based on a beautiful story of overcoming adversities, which was about a man that would become president, and not only a movie about the president itself".[45] Main actor Rui Ricardo Dias said that "those in power today do not depend on this film for absolutely anything. Nor is this production going to change anything in the course of the elections".[46]
Academy Award submission
On September 23, 2010, Lula, Son of Brazil was unanimously chosen by government Ministry of Culture commission as Brazil's submission to the 83rd Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.[5] The commission was formed by nine government officials, including members of the Ministry, the Brazilian Film Academy, the Audiovisual Secretariat, and the National Agency for Cinema. According to Roberto Farias, president of the Brazilian Film Academy and representative for the commission, "we voted in the film that seemed most well done, which honors the Brazilian film industry and has as an actress like Glória Pires, who becomes an excellent candidate for the Best Actress award".[5]
Director Daniel Filho, whose film Chico Xavier was also in the competition to represent Brazil at the Oscars, criticized the Ministry's choice, labelling it as political, and saying that the film's title should have been Lula, the Owner of Brazil.[47] Arnaldo Jabor, whose film A Suprema Felicidade was also in the competition for the submission, chose not to comment on the Ministry's choice, saying that the commission "must have had reasons" to choose the film.[47]
According to producer Paula Barreto, the film may not be the best among the 23 competitors for the submission, but is the most adequate for the Academy Awards.[48] She believes that the film was "analyzed by reputable people, who know the film industry and also how the Oscar dispute works".[48] Farias responded the criticism for his commission's choice by saying that "our position has nothing to do with politics".[48] The film didn't make the shortlist published in January 2011.[49]
References
- ^ "2010 Brazil Yearly Box Office" (in Portuguese). Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
- ^ Agência Folha. "Filme sobre a vida de Lula começa a ser rodado em Pernambuco" Archived 2009-01-29 at the Wayback Machine. Portal Vermelho. January 23, 2009. Accessed on February 23, 2009.
- ^ (in Portuguese) BERGAMO, Mônica. "Orçamento de filme sobre Lula já passa dos R$ 17 milhões". Folha de S. Paulo. July 31, 2009.
- ^ (in Portuguese) "Assista a filmes brasileiros que concorrem à indicação ao Oscar". Folha de S. Paulo. September 20, 2010. Accessed on September 24, 2010.
- ^ Terra. September 23, 2010. Accessed on September 24, 2010.
- ^ "Filme sobre Lula é fracasso de bilheteria, diz ´El país' | Brasil | b…". Archived from the original on 2013-04-19. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
- ^ "Lula, the Son of Brazil". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ "Filme sobre Lula pode influenciar eleição presidencial, diz 'NYT'". 12 January 2010.
- ^ "Dilma admite que filme de Lula pode ajudar nas eleições de 2010".
- ^ "O culto da personalidade na indicação ao Oscar | Ponto de Vista - VEJA.com". Archived from the original on 2011-01-25. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
- ISBN 85-85833-17-3.
- ^ Folha Online. October 5, 2008. Accessed on November 28, 2008.
- ^ (in Portuguese) JARDIM, Lauro. "'Lula' renunciou"[permanent dead link]. Veja. January 10, 2009. Accessed on February 23, 2009.
- ^ (in Portuguese) MIGUEL, Aladim. Lucélia Santos archive - President Lula's campaigns Archived 2009-11-12 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed on February 23, 2009.
- ^ a b c (in Portuguese) CAETANO, Maria do Rosário. "Lula, o filho do Brasil" Archived 2009-03-02 at the Wayback Machine. O Povo. February 19, 2009. Accessed on February 23, 2009.
- ^ (in Portuguese) VANNUCHI, Camilo."Companheiro Rui". Época. Accessed on February 23, 2009.
- ^ (in Portuguese) MIRANDA, André, ÉBOLI, Evandro, and CARVALHO, Jailton de. "Cinema de resultados". O Globo. November 17, 2009.
- ^ (in Portuguese) TOLEDO, Marcos. "Garanhuns vive clima de mistério com filmagens sobre Lula" Archived 2009-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Vermelho. January 24, 2009. Accessed on November 28, 2008.
- ^ EMI Music Brasil. November 9, 2009.
- ^ (in Portuguese) EFE. "Paraguai pede retificação à "Rede Globo" sobre canção"[permanent dead link]. Circuito Mato Grosso. December 5, 2009.
- ^ (in Portuguese) Folha de S. Paulo. "Pré-estreias de "Lula" tentam criar clima emotivo". O Globo. November 17, 2009.
- ^ (in Portuguese) MACEDO, Socorro. "Família de Lula está ansiosa pela pré-estreia de filme no Recife" Archived 2009-11-23 at the Wayback Machine. Último Segundo. November 19, 2009. Accessed on November 19, 2009.
- ^ (in Portuguese) "Obama pediu, e cinebiografia de Lula terá pré-estreia internacional nos EUA". EGO. October 17, 2009.
- ^ a b c (in Portuguese) "DVD de Lula, o Filho do Brasil sairá em maio" Archived 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine. Rolling Stone Brasil. December 16, 2009.
- ^ (in Portuguese) Folha Online. "CUT e Força venderão ingressos do filme de Lula por R$ 5 para trabalhadores sindicalizados". Olhar Direto. November 18, 2009.
- ^ a b c (in Portuguese) Aranha, Ana. "Não vamos politizar o boicote…" Archived 2011-07-21 at archive.today. Época. May 24, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Hennemann, Gustavo. "Final de "Lula, o Filho do Brasil" será mudado para a versão internacional". Folha de S. Paulo. September 23, 2010
- ^ a b c Boechat, Ricardo. [1]. Istoé
- ^ http://www.claquete.com/noticias/noticia.php?cod=3050
- ^ "Notícias e matérias especiais de cinema e séries".
- ^ "Notícias e matérias especiais de cinema e séries".
- ^ "Conheça os 20 filmes nacionais mais assistidos em 2010" Archived 2011-07-14 at the Wayback Machine. MSN Entretenimento. January 1, 2011.
- ^ a b (in Portuguese) Bergamo, Mônica. "História de Lula é maior do que a de Gandhi, diz ator intérprete de pacifista indiano". Folha de S. Paulo. September 4, 2010.
- ^ https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lula_the_son_of_brazil
- ^ https://www.metacritic.com/movie/lula-the-son-of-brazil?ftag=MCD-06-10aaa1c
- ^ SILVA, Lurian C. Lula da. Letter: A Film Portrayal of Lula, My Dad. New York: The New York Times, January 26, 2010
- ^ Os 10 piores filmes do cinema brasileiro Archived 2016-04-28 at the Wayback Machine. Pollyane Lima e Silva. Veja, 15 March 2010 (in Portuguese)
- ^ (in Portuguese) DANTAS, Audálio. "História comovente ou arma poderosa?" Archived 2009-12-09 at the Wayback Machine. Jornal do Brasil. November 22, 2009.
- ^ (in Portuguese) PERBONI, Juraci. "Dilma admite efeito eleitoral de filme sobre a vida de Lula". O Globo. November 24, 2009.
- ^ Rede Globo garante exclusividade de exibição de "Lula, o Filho do Brasil." São Paulo: CineSéries, November 24, 2009
- ^ a b Duffy, Gary. "Brazil reflects on Lula's last year". BBC. January 11, 2010.
- ^ "Lula Onscreen: Brazil's President as Superhero". Time. December 30, 2009. Archived from the original on January 2, 2010.
- ^ (in Portuguese) NOBLAT, Ricardo. "Lula, o filho perfeito do Brasil". O Globo. November 18, 2009.
- ^ NYT and the film
- ^ a b (in Portuguese) Moratelli, Valmir. "Glória Pires: “'Lula – O Filho do Brasil' foi vítima de preconceito"". Último Segundo. August 20, 2010.
- ^ "Intérprete de Lula no cinema aposta que filme pode participar do Oscar". 23 September 2010.
- ^ a b "Daniel Filho, diretor de 'Se eu fosse você', critica indicação de 'Lula, o filho do Brasil' ... - O Globo Online". Archived from the original on 2010-09-26. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
- ^ a b c ""Chorei quando soube da indicação", diz Paula Barreto - Cinema - R7".
- ^ "9 Foreign Language Films Continue to Oscar Race". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
External links
- Official website (in Portuguese)
- Official website (in English)
- Lula, The Son of Brasil at IMDb
- Lula, The Son of Brazil