A Brief History OF THE BRAZILIAN CINEMA:

1897 The first cinematograph machine arrived in Brazil.

1933 Cinedia produced The Voice of Carnaval. It was the first film with Carmen Miranda, which marked the “Chanchada” era or “slapstick comedies.”

1953 Vera Cruz’ The Briand [O Cangaceiro] won the Best Adventure Film award at the Cannes Film Festival.

1950s with Rio 40 Degrees directed by Nelson Pereira dos Santos, a radical shift occurred in the film industry by introducing the film techniques of the Italian Neorealism. It is Nelson Pereira dos Santos who ignited the “Cinema Novo” movement. Such films as The Payer of Vows by Anselmo Duarte won the Palm d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. “Vidas Secas”, directed by Pereira dos Santos. “God and the Devil in the Land of the Sun”, directed by Glauber Rocha.

1960s The Tropacalist Movement took a hold of Brazil arts creating unique national products. Example is “Maucunaima” by Joaquim Pedro de Andrade.

At the same time, “Cinema Marginal” was taking place in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The directors focused on themes about a “marginal society.” “Rio Babylon” by Neville d’Almeida. “He Killed the Family and Went to the Movies,” by Julio Bressane, “The Red Light Bandit,” by Rogerio Sganzeria.

1969 Embrafilme, the government film agency opened to co-produce, finance, distribute Brazilian films in the 1970s and 1980s. It helped to create more commercially driven films.

1980s Many film theaters closed at this time when the Brazilian television dominated.

1993 A Law passes to create financial incentives to encourage Brazilian film production. As a result, the number of films has increased dramatically. Examples: “O Quatrilho” directed by Fabio Barreto. “Four Days in September” by Bruno Barreto. “Central Station” by Walter Salles won the Golden Bear Grand Prix at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1998 and the Golden Globe’s Best Foreign Film in 1999.