Mazzaropi's films will be recovered and digitized; know who he was

Six films by the actor and comedian Amácio Mazzaropi (1912-1981) will be recovered and digitized by Brazilian Cinematheque in partnership with the Mazzaropi Museum . Find out below who he was and his importance in Brazilian culture.

The recovery of productions was approved by notice from the Law Paulo Gustavo by the Secretariat of Culture, Economy and Creative Industry of the Government of the State of São Paulo and will use an investment of R$ 200,000

The action will also include the organization of exhibitions and debates in the second half of this year, both at the headquarters of the Cinemateca Brasileira, in the south of the city of São Paulo, and at the Museum, in Taubaté, in the interior of the state.

But who was Mazzaropi?

Known for the hillbilly character, which marked his career, the films in which Mazzaropi participated were characterized by humor, sometimes with a touch of melodrama.

These productions often addressed important themes and discussions such as racism, agrarian reform, social injustices and the relationship between countryside and city.

Thus, Mazzaropi built a set of works that focused on the daily lives of marginalized groups in Brazilian society, with humor as the central point and a popular language capable of achieving large box office numbers.

To this day, he is one of the best-known names in national cinema, mainly for his roles as “jeca” or “caipira”, having produced, written, directed and starred in 32 productions between 1952 and 1980.

Many of Mazzaropi's films are still shown today on TV Brasil.

The films included in the project belong to the collections of the Cinemateca Brasileira and the Mazzaropi Museum.

The Cinemateca Brasileira preserves more than 200 audiovisual materials relating to the comedian's filmography, whose rights are distributed among different holders, in addition to a collection of around 600 photographs, posters and other documents.

The museum, created in 1992, has the most representative collection of the artist's life and work, with around 20,000 items, including photos, documents and objects.

Films that will be recovered and digitized

Get out of the way (1952), directed by Abílio Pereira de Almeida and Tom Payne

Mazzaropi's film debut, in which he plays a truck driver who needs to move from São Paulo to Santos, but ends up getting involved in several mishaps.

Candinho (1953), directed by Abílio Pereira de Almeida

The role of the hillbilly, which would become recurrent in the actor's filmography, appears for the first time. The film is based on the short story “Candide, or Optimism”, by Voltaire.

Zé do Periquito (1961), directed by Amácio Mazzaropi and Ismar Porto

The impossible romance between a school gardener and a student was the second film directed by Mazzaropi, after his directorial debut with “The Adventures of Pedro Malasartes”, the previous year.

The Lamp (1964), directed by Glauco Mirko Laurelli

In this film, Mazzaropi is a field worker who ends up joining, by accident, a band of bandits, becoming the fearless and clumsy Lamparina.

The production is a satire of cangaço films, a very popular genre in Brazilian cinema.

The Corinthian (1966), directed by Milton Amaral

Mazzaropi plays a fanatical Corinthians fan who comes into conflict with his children and his Palmeiras neighbors. The film contains scenes from real Corinthians games, in which players Rivellino and Dino Sani appear, among others.

The Puritan of Rua Augusta (1966), directed by Amácio Mazzaropi

In this satire of customs, Mazzaropi plays a conservative and moralistic family man who, after a heart attack, starts to act like a young man again, changing his hair, clothes and taste in music.

The film features special appearances by several Brazilian musicians, including Elza Soares.