Festival do Rio – When the city breathes cinema

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320"] Festival do Rio 2012 / source[/caption]

If you are lucky enough to be travelling to Rio between September 27th and October 11th you may notice a different vibe in town. Of course Rio always welcomes you with open arms and people are likely to socialize no matter what, but during these two weeks, things get even better with the Festival do Rio, the biggest film festival in Latin American and a major social event for cariocas – especially in the South Zone (Zona Sul), the most touristic part of the city and where the intellectual and bohemian elite is concentrated.

Of course the protagonist of the party is the huge movie selection which brings cinematic gems to Rio theaters that would otherwise not travel this far and which also presents the latest Brazilian movies in a screening called Première Brasil. But, for a lot of cariocas, the Festival do Rio is above all, an opportunity to enjoy the city in a different way, meet up with friends a daily basis, watching two or three movies a day. However, going to the movie theater alone is not unusual, since you’ll be sure to meet someone you known and probably meet new people over a beer, discussing the movie later.

You may think this is more of a resident’s activity in Rio, but remember: cariocas have a tradition of receiving tourists very well, making them feel like locals, inviting them out with their friends, etc. So, don’t be afraid: start doing like the locals do and go to the Festival headquarters in Botafogo, to get your catalogue. The people who work there are really helpful and usually speak good English. Also, have a look at their website.

If you think you’ll get lost with the more than 400 movies, from 60 countries, just ask the locals: everybody has his own must-see list and it is a big part of the “festival culture” to share some tips like “don’t even try the newest Woody Allen, it is always full and it will be at the theaters soon anyway, go for the Iranian one” and many more – since each festival goer has his own list of advice for newbies.

And, of course, so do we; we’ve prepared a list of movies to consider watching at the Festival do Rio 2012 if you’re travelling to Rio in the coming days:

- The restored version of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Pleasure Garden will be broadcast on Copacabana Beach and the sound track will be played by a live orchestra on October 4th at 8.30pm. It is one of the main events of the Festival do Rio. If you are in town, you can’t miss it – and to top it off:  it’s free!

- The most awaited international movies are: Twixt (Francis Ford Coppola), Lay the Favorite (Stephen Frears), Magic Mike (Steven Soderbergh), Michael Jackson Bad 25, Cesare Deve Morire (Taviani brothers), Pietá (Kim Ki-duk) and Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson).

- The Brazilian movies that are favourites for the Redentor prize are: O Gorila (José Eduardo Belmonte), Primeiro Dia de um Ano Qualquer (Domingos de Oliveira) and Meu Pé de Laranja Lima (a new version of a clasic novel, directed by Marcos Bernstein). The two first ones – and most of the other Première Brasil movies – are screened with subtitles in English.

- The other competitive screening is the Première Latina, with movies from Latin America. The most awaited ones are: Elefante Branco (Pablo Trapero, Argentina), Young and Wild: as aventuras de uma ninfomaníaca (Marialy Rivas, Chile) and Depois de Lúcia (Michel Franco, Mexico). The majority are in Spanish with Portuguese subtitles.

These are just a few movies you may consider watching, but the program is extensive. There are all kinds of thematic screenings like: gay, surf, Portuguese cinema, environment, international conflicts, etc. Check it all at the Festival do Rio official website. Also, if you understand some Portuguese, you can download the catalogue here.

If you are in Rio don’t miss it! It is a great opportunity to get to know more about Latin-American cinema.