Out in 2022, remember 6 times that Brazil shone in Cannes

THE 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival starts this Tuesday (17th) and runs until May 28th. The event is considered the biggest award of the film industry in Europe and usually gives visibility to several productions of the season.

The official selection has 50 films and 21 compete for the main prize of the night: the palm d’or . Productions from several countries make the list, mainly Europeans, but also Canada, South Korea, the United States, Japan, Iran and Russia.

Brazil has a history at the festival and already won a Palme d’Or, 60 years ago, with the film “O Pagador de Promessas”, by Anselmo Duarte. The country has 38 nominations for the category. Recently, he won the Jury Prize for “Bacurau” in 2019, by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles.

In this year, Brazilian Rodrigo Teixeira is responsible for the production of “Armageddon Time”, by American director James Gray, which is in the running for the main award of the night. However, no Brazilian film was selected for the 75th edition of the festival.

Out in 2022, remember remember 6 times that Brazil shone in Cannes.

1. The Cangaceiro (1953)

“O Cangaceiro”, by Lima Barreto, won the first prize in Brazil at the Cannes Festival, in a now extinct category, adventure film.

The film follows “Captain” Galdino who terrorizes poor villages in the Northeast region of Brazil, often looting and killing with his armed gang. In one of these attacks, he kidnaps teacher Olivia and asks for money for ransom. But he and his right-hand man, the brave Teodoro, are attracted to the captive woman and discord breaks out in the gang.

2. The Promise Payer (1962)

“O Pagador de Promessas”, by Anselmo Duarte, is the only Brazilian film that achieved the highest prestige of the film festival, the Palme d’Or. It was Brazil’s 11th nomination, which now totals 38.

The production was also nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film award at the 1963 Oscars, but did not take home the statuette.

The feature is based on the play of the same name by playwright Dias Gomes and follows Zé do Burro, a humble man, who faces the Church’s intransigence when trying to fulfill the promise made in a Candomblé terreiro to carry a heavy wooden cross for a long distance.

3. The Dragon of Evil against the Holy Warrior (1969)

In the case of “O Dragão da Maldade contra o Santo Guerreiro” the award went to Glauber Rocha, who won the Best Director category at the Cannes Film Festival.

The film’s plot follows Antônio das Mortes, a former cangaceiro killer, who is hired by a colonel to kill a blessed agitator. He confronts his victim but decides to spare his life. Antônio is faced with the difficulties of the sertão and decides to support the people’s cause against the excesses of the colonel.

4. I Know I’ll Love You (1986)

Nominated for the Palme d’Or, “Eu Sei que vou te Amar”, by Arnaldo Jabor, was recognized for the performance of Fernanda Torres, who was consecrated as Best Female Interpretation at the film festival. She was the first Brazilian to win an award at one of the most prestigious events in cinema.

The film follows a young couple who break up with each other and decide to meet again to discuss their relationship three months later.

5. Pass Line (2008)

Years later, Brazil was again awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. This time, Sandra Corveloni won the award for Best Female Performance for her role as Cleusa in “Linha de Passe”, by Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas.

The film was applauded for nine minutes after it was shown at the event.

The plot follows four brothers from the outskirts of São Paulo, raised by their mother, who works as a maid and is pregnant with an unknown man. With no father figure, the boys fight for their dreams and one of them sees his talent as a football player, the hope of a better life.

6. Bacurau (2019)

The western by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles went to Cannes and won the Jury Prize, one of the main categories of the festival. In 2021, Kleber was one of the festival’s juries.

In “Bacurau”, the residents of the small village in the Brazilian hinterland, after which the film is named, discover that the community is no longer on any map.

Gradually, they notice something strange in the region: while drones roam the skies, foreigners arrive in the city. When cars are shot at and corpses begin to appear, one group comes to the conclusion that they are being attacked. To fight the enemy, they collectively create a means of defense.

*Under supervision.