Daniel Rezende, great Brazilian director and editor (Oscar nominee and BAFTA winner), in an interview with the Falando de Nada podcast, spoke a very impactful sentence that really fits in this text: "we need to value our culture", so it must be said that Mars One (Marte Um) could not be the best choice of the Brazilian Academy of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts as a candidate for a spot in the Best International Film award at the 2023 Oscars. Mars One is about the purest Brazil, lived by each of the families in the more than five thousand municipalities in our territory. Non-Brazilian viewer, did you notice how Tércia's birthday is celebrated? With beautiful people dancing pagode while eating a sausage straight from the skewer. All that was missing was that it all happened on a slab. I've lost count of how many birthdays of mine have been celebrated like this! This is the Brazil of everyday life, and this is precisely the basic story of Mars One: the daily life of Brazilians, the culture of Brazilians.
During the session, I found myself wondering what was the problem with the film, what would be the driving force that would make this story move throughout its almost two hours of duration. It turns out that one of the first sentences of the film is a voice over from a radio announcing that Jair Bolsonaro was elected president of the country, in November 2018, and that in itself is already the biggest problem that a family like Deivinho's, that a family has. Family like mine could face. On the eve of yet another presidential election (the first round takes place in 26 days counting from today, September 6), it is impossible not to look at that period of 2018/19, which is portrayed in the film, without thinking that many of the problems we are experiencing is due to this election that is the start of the film. Deivinho, whose dream is to be an astrophysicist, is unfortunately located in a society that does not encourage studies, and his father, trapped in the estates of slavery revised in his work as a doorman, only sees a possible future for his son through football. After that night at the end of the movie, where everyone sleeps under the stars, how many problems did Deivinho face and still face today, in 2022, to pursue his dream career?
With the problem in mind, what obstacles will the characters face? Nothing too fancy or Hollywood, because believe me when I say that living in Brazil is enough of an obstacle. Nobody knows when they will be the victim of a TV prank, I myself have always been terrified of finding Ivo Holanda in the middle of the street (anyone who knows Ivo Holanda knows!). The issue of the daughter leaving home is a pain that no family wants to face. You may ask yourself "ah, but all families in the world go through the story of their children leaving home", and I reply saying that in Brazil it is different, and the way the film portrays it is exquisite.
I imagine that Mars One may not be nominated for an Oscar, and if nominated, he may not win, but this movie deserves you to see it, whether you are Brazilian or not. We need to value our culture, and this film is the best showcase of its culture that Brazil in 2022 can offer the world.
During the session, I found myself wondering what was the problem with the film, what would be the driving force that would make this story move throughout its almost two hours of duration. It turns out that one of the first sentences of the film is a voice over from a radio announcing that Jair Bolsonaro was elected president of the country, in November 2018, and that in itself is already the biggest problem that a family like Deivinho's, that a family has. Family like mine could face. On the eve of yet another presidential election (the first round takes place in 26 days counting from today, September 6), it is impossible not to look at that period of 2018/19, which is portrayed in the film, without thinking that many of the problems we are experiencing is due to this election that is the start of the film. Deivinho, whose dream is to be an astrophysicist, is unfortunately located in a society that does not encourage studies, and his father, trapped in the estates of slavery revised in his work as a doorman, only sees a possible future for his son through football. After that night at the end of the movie, where everyone sleeps under the stars, how many problems did Deivinho face and still face today, in 2022, to pursue his dream career?
With the problem in mind, what obstacles will the characters face? Nothing too fancy or Hollywood, because believe me when I say that living in Brazil is enough of an obstacle. Nobody knows when they will be the victim of a TV prank, I myself have always been terrified of finding Ivo Holanda in the middle of the street (anyone who knows Ivo Holanda knows!). The issue of the daughter leaving home is a pain that no family wants to face. You may ask yourself "ah, but all families in the world go through the story of their children leaving home", and I reply saying that in Brazil it is different, and the way the film portrays it is exquisite.
I imagine that Mars One may not be nominated for an Oscar, and if nominated, he may not win, but this movie deserves you to see it, whether you are Brazilian or not. We need to value our culture, and this film is the best showcase of its culture that Brazil in 2022 can offer the world.