This May, CineSesc RJ is offering a special film series called “Music in Focus,” with free screenings at Sesc locations across Rio de Janeiro state. The selection highlights Brazil’s rich musical landscape through various national films, showcasing significant artists and movements that have shaped the country’s culture. Running until May 31st, the program features documentaries that delve into the creative processes of renowned musicians and the widespread impact of musical movements that challenged social and artistic norms. It’s a diverse look at Brazilian music across different eras and regions.
A particularly noteworthy part of the series is the screening of the documentary A Maldita. This film chronicles the beginnings of Rádio Fluminense FM in Niterói in 1982. Known as “The Damned One” (“A Maldita”), the radio station became a voice for a new generation of musicians and listeners, symbolizing counterculture and marking a key moment for the “Rock Generation 80s.” The film also serves as a tribute to journalist Luiz Antônio Mello, who recently passed away and was the visionary behind the radio station. His pioneering work in creating the station significantly changed the Brazilian rock scene, providing a platform for previously marginalized artists. The film’s presentation honors his legacy and contribution to the nation’s musical heritage.
Other highlights of the “Music in Focus” series include Elis & Tom – It Had to Be with You. This documentary revisits the historic meeting between Elis Regina and Tom Jobim in Los Angeles in 1974. Featuring rare and previously unseen footage, the film reveals the emotions and behind-the-scenes moments of the recording of one of Brazilian popular music’s most iconic albums.
The May program also includes special sessions, such as a double feature of Little Warriors and Our Mother Was an Actress at Cine Bela, in partnership with Galpão Bela Maré. This session offers a powerful combination of fiction and documentary, respectively portraying the enchantment of childhoods in northeastern Brazil and the inspiring journey of an actress from the outskirts of Contagem. Another special session celebrates pop culture and animation with the feature film Bizarre Fish of the Abyssal Plains, a fun and quirky production shown at Sesc Nova Iguaçu in honor of Geek Pride Day.
For children and families, “Cineminha” (Little Cinema) presents a carefully chosen selection of imaginative and heartwarming animated films and adventures. Titles like My Robot Friend, Tarsilinha, My Big Big Friend – The Movie, The Famous Invasion of Bears in Sicily, and The Island of the Illus, among others, promise to delight young audiences and encourage early engagement with cinema.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Music in Focus Film Series May 1st to 31st
The “Music in Focus” series offers an overview of Brazilian audiovisual productions dedicated to exploring the country’s musical universe. The variety of artists and movements depicted reflects the diverse aesthetic approaches of the films. These documentaries, distinct from one another, emphasize the power of their “subjects of study”—unique artists, as seen in the emblematic case of Elis Regina and Tom Jobim in Elis & Tom – It Had to Be with You; cultural events, such as the Black Rio movement in Black Rio! Black Power! and the punk scene around the historical center of Salvador in Not Dead; and, in A Maldita, the behavior of a legion of fans of the “Rock Generation 80s” who listened to Rádio Fluminense FM in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro.
- BLACK RIO! BLACK POWER! (Director: Emílio Domingos) – Explores the impact of soul dances and the Black Rio movement on music, culture, and the fight for racial justice in 1970s Brazil.
- NOT DEAD (Director: Isaac Donato) – In the land of axé music, older punks resist and live autonomously.
- ELIS & TOM – IT HAD TO BE WITH YOU (Directors: Roberto de Oliveira and Jom Tob Azulay) – Revisits the 1974 encounter between Tom Jobim and Elis Regina in Los Angeles to record an iconic album, revealing the creative process and personalities of these artists through rare footage.
- A MALDITA (Director: Tetê Mattos) – Documents the birth of Rádio Fluminense FM in 1982, a station that gave voice to the “Rock Generation 80s” and became a symbol of counterculture.
SPECIAL SESSION: LITTLE WARRIORS + OUR MOTHER WAS AN ACTRESS A double feature of the film Little Warrior (fiction) and Our Mother Was an Actress (documentary), in partnership with Cine Bela and Galpão Bela Maré.
- LITTLE WARRIORS (Director: Barbara Cariry) – Follows children on a journey through the landscapes and cultural richness of the Brazilian sertão.
- OUR MOTHER WAS AN ACTRESS (Director: André Novais Oliveira) – Remembers the remarkable career of Maria José Novais Oliveira, a black actress from the periphery of Contagem who found success in cinema later in life.
SPECIAL SESSION: GEEK PRIDE – BIZARRE FISH OF THE ABYSSAL PLAINS A special screening of the animated feature film Bizarre Fish of the Abyssal Plains (Director: Marcelo Marão).
- BIZARRE FISH OF THE ABYSSAL PLAINS – An unusual journey to the depths of the ocean with quirky characters.
CINEMINHA (Little Cinema) Screenings of films for children and the whole family.
- THE FAMOUS INVASION OF BEARS IN SICILY (Director: Lorenzo Mattotti)
- THE ISLAND OF THE ILUS (Director: Paulo G. C Miranda)
- ERNEST & CELESTINE: A TRIP TO MUSIC LAND (Directors: Julien Chheng and Jean-Christophe Roger)
- MY BIG BIG FRIEND – THE MOVIE (Director: Andrés Lieban)
- MY ROBOT FRIEND (Director: Pablo Berger)
- NAHUEL AND THE MAGIC BOOK (Director: German Acuña)
- LITTLE WARRIORS (Director: Barbara Cariry)
- SLEEPING PRINCESS (Director: Claudio Boeckel)
- SHORT FILM SESSION: ANACLETO, THE BALLOON + ABOUT FRIENDSHIP AND BICYCLES (Directors: Carol Sakura & Walkir Fernandes, Julia Vidal)
- SHORT FILM SESSION: ANACLETO, THE BALLOON + ABOUT FRIENDSHIP AND BICYCLES + THE GIRL FROM THE MOUNTAIN + MY REAL FRIEND + DINORÁ STREET (Directors: Carol Sakura & Walkir Fernandes, Julia Vidal, Cleyson Gomes, Cristina Savian)
- TARSILINHA (Directors: Célia Katunda and Kiko Mistrorigo)
- TRUNK TRAIN – THE MOVIE (Director: Zé Brandão)
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