The year that marks the 30th anniversary of the murder of the actress and dancer Daniella Perez also marks the launch of a documentary series on crime, “Brutal Pact: The Murder of Daniella Perez” of the directors Tatiana Issa and Guto Barra. It premieres July 21 on HBO Max.
With five episodes, the show starts with the victim’s mother, the soap opera author Gloria Perez identifying new evidence of the crime and tracking other witnesses that help to expose errors of the authorities in the process of solving the case, and that help in tracking the actress’ path to the place of her death.
Guto Barra, however, warns that “she (Glória Perez) had no official or work involvement [na produção]”. The writer only gave access to the collection of legal issues and videos of the crime, “which are interesting from a journalistic and investigative point of view”.
The series also features interviews with actors such as Alexandre Frota and Fábio Assunção, Daniella’s family members, lawyers and clerks, in addition to the actress’ ex-husband, Raul Gazolla. THE CNN had access to only two chapters.
The case became known throughout Brazil, as both Daniella and one of the killers, William of Padua at the time of the crime, they were actors in the soap opera “De Corpo e Alma”, which aired on TV Globo, in 1992. They were a romantic couple in fiction and played Yasmin Bianchi and Bira.
The murder had the collaboration of Padua’s wife, Paula Nogueira de Almeida Thomaz . And, by editorial decision, none of the criminals were interviewed for the documentary.
On his YouTube channel, former actor and now pastor Guilherme de Padua said in a suicide-themed video published three years ago that he “is calm, smooth on the ship” in relation to people who hate him for crime.
“Over these 30 years, they (Guilherme de Pádua and Paula Thomaz) used the press a lot to bring their versions of the crime, and these theses were always changing… And they were never substantial”, says Barra.
“At the trial they were convicted for not being able to prove their defense theses.” In January 1997, the pastor was sentenced to 19 years in prison; Paula, 18 years and six months, in addition to paying the costs of the process.
“We didn’t think it was the case to give them a voice at this point”, declared the director.
In an interview with CNN , Tatiana stated that the idea of working with this story had been around for three decades, as she had a personal involvement with the case. At the time, she was working with Gazolla and was present at Daniella’s funeral.
On the night of the crime, Tatiana had worked with Daniella’s ex-husband before he went looking for the actress.
To justify the production, Tatiana says that “the story was never heard in the right way, based on the highs of the process and with foundation, and that Glória gave [apenas] punctual interviews.
The victim’s mother talked with the documentary’s directors for long days.
“It was a crime that shook Brazil, shocked the nation, it is one of those great terrible and barbaric crimes that mark an entire generation”. The murder had such an impact that it caused a change in Brazilian legislation, including qualified homicide within the heinous crimes.
Tomás Yankelevich, Latin America entertainment content leader at Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns HBO, declared that the series is “a reliable production, supported by rigorous research work, which portrays the perverse nature of an emblematic crime that took place in Brazil”.
Watch the trailer for the documentary below:
Source: CNN Brasil
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