Over the past few years, Brazilian movies have made a splash at the Cannes Film Festival, one of the most prestigious in the world. Many observers will recall the cast and crew of nominated drama Aquarius using the red carpet to protest the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff—denouncing to the international media what they believed was a coup in progress in Brazil. But political displays are far from the only reason why movie critics are looking more closely to the country—as this year has shown.
The Brazilian picture The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmão snatched the top prize at the Un Certain Regard exhibition—a section of the festival’s official selection, parallel to the competition for the Palme d’Or. Karim Aïnouz’s drama was considered of “high emotion, articulated with utmost sincerity and heady stylistic excess,” according to Variety. The movie tells a heartbreaking tale of two sisters separated for decades by familial shame and deceit.
The award comes 17 years after Mr. Aïnouz’s stunning debut Madame Satã—also as part of the Un Certain Regard exhibition. The movie was responsible for not only launching the director’s international career, but also saw the breakout of actor Lázaro Ramos—currently one of Brazil’s most acclaimed performers—and made Brazil rediscover one of Rio de Janeiro’s most iconic characters. Madame Satã was a dark and emblematic figure of the city’s bohemian life—commemorated as someone who battled the stigmas of being...
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