Portuguese Language Resources
See Also: Audiocassettes | Feature Films and Documentaries | Instructional Videos | Brazilian Television Programs
Feature Films & Documentaries
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Amor Bandido
Bruno Barreto. 1VHS cassette (90 mins.): color. Portuguese with English subtitles, Feature film. Brazil, 1981.Actors: Paulo Gracindo, Cristina Ache, Paulo Guarniero.
"Amor Bandido is the turbulent story of crime and doomed romance set in the tawdry underworld of Rio. Someone is robbing and murdering the cab drivers of the city and the chief of detectives on the case can do nothing to stop it. Meanwhile, he frequents the local Copacabana strip-joint where his estranged, prostitute daughter works, in the hopes of mending their relationship. The drama mounts when his worlds become inextricably linked. The daughter, played by the sultry Cristine Ache, is torn between defiance of her father and loyalty to her lover and is forced to make decisions that bring this tense, passionate film to a conclusion that would do Bonnie and Clyde proud." (from the video jacket)
Amor e traicão
Pedro Camargo. 1 VHS cassette (104 mins.) : color. Portuguese with English subtitles, Feature film. Brazil, 1982. Actors: Jofre Soares Claudia Ohana.
Azores: The Enchanted Islands
Sérgio Lago. 1 VHS cassette:color. English, Documentary.
"Located in the middle of the Atlantic, between Lisbon and New York, the archipelago of the Azores is one of the preferred destinations of travelers searching for tranquility, nature, and a pollution-free environment. America's love affair with these islands has made it a popular destination during the summer months. Azoreans open their arms and hearts to the wo traveller, attracted to the islandes by a diversity of water sports, hiking trails, historical monuments, cultural events, flowers and fauna. Azores: The Enchanted Islands is the result of work done by PBN Productions during a summer season, filled with sunshine and almost daily festivals. This video is indespensible for all those interested in discovering new places and appreciating the poetry and simplicity of a unique culture whose roots, it is said, t to the lost civilizations of Atlantis. English version narrated by Emmy Award-winner Mario Machado." (from the video jacket)
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Bananas is my Business
Helena Solberg. 1 VHS cassette (90 mins.) : color. English and Portuguese with English subtitles. USA, 1994.
"Carmen Miranda; Bananas is My Business is the intimate saga of the star who captured the world's heart and imagination. The film reveals the lasting image of Latin American women she created and serves as a celebration of her glorious talents. Using archival footage, film fragment, interviews and dramatic re-enactments, acclaimed director Helena Solberg goes behind-the-scenes to convey the true life story of the Brazilian Bombshell." (from the video jacket)
Beijo no asfalto, O
Bruno Barreto. 1 VHS cassette (80 mins.) : color. Portuguese no subtitles, Feature film. Actors: Daniel Filho, Tarcisio Meira, Ney Latorraca, Lidia Biondi.
Black Orpheus
Marcel Camus. 1 VHS cassette (103 mins.) : color. Portuguese with English subtitles. France, Italy, 1958.
". . . extraordinary retelling of the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice explodes with dance, music, magnificent color photography, and the seemingly spontaneous performances of a brilliant cast. The tragic love story of Orpheus, a streetcar conductor, and Eurydice, a shy country girl pursued by a man she believes wantes to kill her unfolds against the madness of a modern-day carnival in Rio de Jainero. The doomed lovers lose themselves in the riotous frenzy of the celebration, with its intoxicating samba music, sensuous dancing, colorful costumes. But the sinister figure of death pursues them through the city's teeming slums, and Orpheus must ultimately join his lover in the world beyond the living." (from the video jacket)
Boto, O (The Dolphin)
Walter Lima Junior. 1 VHS cassette (95 mins.) : color. Portuguese with English subtitles. Actors: Carlos Alberto Riccelli, Cassia Kiss, Ney Latorraca.
"The dolphin is a tale of power, fantasy, abd sensuous desire set on the beautiful beaches of northern Brazil. It's an enchanting story surrounding the seductive legend of a dolphin-man called Boto. On moonlit nights women become helpless victims to their desire for him. The hidden sensuality that Boto exposses in his women and the permanent danger that surrounds the town where they love create a climatic ending where a man, a woman and Boto face off."
Brazil
Manchete Video. 1 VHS cassette (70 mins.) : color. English, Documentary. Brazil, ?
Brazil: heart of South America
Michael and Suzie Heumann. 1 VHS cassette (55 mins.) : color. Gt. Brit., 1988.
Brazil: Heart of South America
Michael and Suzie Heumann. 1 VHS cassette (55 mins.) : color. Great Britain.
Brazil: The Northeast
The Lonely Planet "Experience" series / International Video Network. 1 VHS cassette (47 mins.): color. English, Documentary. Great Britain, 1995.
"Dance to the rhythm of Brazil's hottest persussion group. . . Play a game of soccer on the beach. . . Float down the Amazon during a rainstorm . . . Scale a palm tree . . .Try your hands at capoiera - a combination of martial arts and acrobatics . . .Experience Brazil!" (from the video jacket)
Bye Bye Brazil
Bruno Barreto. 1 VHS cassette (115 mins.) : color. Portuguese with English subitiles. Brazil. Actors: Jose Wilker Betty, Faria Junior, Zaria Zambello.
"A young man loses his heart to th´Queen of the carnival, Salome, when Caravana Rolidei comes to the town.He takes his wife and joins the carnival as their accordian player, seeing the opportunity as his only chance to the change his small town existence. As they travel from honky tonk village to little beach town, the accordian player becomes more and more infatuated with Salome, a woman too hardened to return his love. When the carnival must break up, the young man realizes his responsibility to his wife and the new born daughter. The two couples go their separate ways to live their own lives., each coping with a new Brazil, void of roots and traditions."
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Cabra marcado para morrer
Eduardo Coutinho. 1 VHS cassette (119 mins.): color. Portuguese, Feature film. Brazil.
Capoeira Bahia Video
Bira Almeida. 1 VHS cassette (40 mins.): color/B&W. English.
"In this combination rock video, travelogue, narrative, and martial arts film, Bira Almeida takes the viewer to training sessions, shows, competitions, and, in rare black-and-white footage, back to the masters of the art in hidden Brazil. A stirring berimbau-highlighted soundtrack sychronyzes with the players' leaps and cartwheels."
Carlota Joaquina, Princesa do Brazil
Carla Camurati. 1 VHS cassette (100 mins.) : color. Portuguese, English and Spanish with Portuguese subtitles, Feature film. Brazil, 1994. Actors: Marieta Severo, Marco Nanini.
"Espanha, 1785 - Carlota Joaquina (Marieta Severo) uma infanta que foi prometida para D. João VI, aos 10 anos de idade recebe o retrato de seu futuro esposo e é obrigada a partir para Portugal levando consigo, somente sua herança familiar. Chegando em seu novo país, Carlota sofre uma grande decepção ao encontrar seu 'prometido'. . . gerando muitas brigas, infidelidades e. . . muitos filhos. Com a morte de D. José, herdeiro do trono portugués e a declarada insanidade de Maria I, Carlota Joaquina e D. João VI herdam a coroa portuguesa. Porém, assustados com a revolução francesa e a aproximação do exército de Napoleão, resolvem fugir para sua colônia: o Brazil. Carlota Joquina é uma produção esmerada que retrata a historia do Brasil com requintes de época, sob a direção de Carla Camurati, uma "tima revelação do cinema brasileiro." (from the video jacket)
Ceará
Governo do Estado Ceará. 1 VHS cassette (11 mins.) : color. English, Documentary. Brazil.
Chuvas de Verão
Carlos Diegues. 1 VHS cassette (93 mins.) : color. Portuguese no subtitles, Feature film. Brazil, 1978. Actors: Jofre Soares, Miriam Pires.
Corpo, O
José Antonio Garcia. 1 VHS cassette (80 mins.) : color. Portuguese, no subtitles, Feature film. Brazil, 1991. Actors: Marieta Severo, Antonio Fagundes, Claudia Jimenez.
"'Enquanto os outros fazem às escondidas, eu faço às claras.' Esta é a principal defesa do farmacêutico e machão Xavier. ele vive abertamente e em perfeita união com duas mulheres: Carmem e Beatriz. O clima é de total harmonia, apesar da bigamia ser reprovada pela sociedade. Até que um dia, elas descrobrem que o garanhão arrumou uma amante: a prostituta de cabaré Monique. Adaptação do conto homônimo de Clarice Lispector, O Corpo foi o grande vencedor dos festivais de Brasilia e de Cartagena, Colômbia." (from the video jacket)
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Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands
Bruno Barreto. 1 VHS cassette (106 mins.) : color. Portuguese with English subtitles. Actors: Sonia Braga, Jose WIlker, Mauro Mendonca.
"Sensual and beautiful Dona Flor is selflessly devoted to her drunk, unfaithful husband, Vadinho. He spends every night in the local casino gambling her life savings and returning to her drunk the next morning. Sometimes deep inside Dona Flor keeps her from leaving Vadinho, a burning lust only he can satisfy. Suddenly, Vindiho is dead , and Dona Flor's liefe collapse. She spends one year to mourning, and realizes that she needs a man in her life.The local pharmacist proposes, and they marry, sharing a stable calm existence. But Dona needs more. Vindiho responds to Dona Flor's prayer by returning to her as a ghost. She finds herself immersed in a love triangle with two men, each one is able to satisfy different needs and both of equal importance. Some would say it's a perfectly arrangement......"
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Eles não usam Black Tie
Leon Hirszman. 1 VHS cassette (115 mins.) : color. Portuguese no subtitles, Feature film. Brazil, 1981. Actors: Carlos Alberto Riccelli, Bete Mendes, Fernanda Montenegro, Gianfrancesco Guarnieri.
Escritores portugueses contemporáneos
Instituto de Cultura e Lingua Portuguesa (ICALP): Fernando Namora; Fernando Pessoa; Lidia Jorge; Fernando Dacosta; Miguel Torga; José Saraonago. 1 VHS cassette : color. Portuguese, no subtitles, Documentary. Portugal.
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Fausta
Bruno Barreto. 1 VHS cassette (90 mins.) : color. Portuguese with English subtitles. Actors: Betty Faria, Daniel Filho, Brandao Filho.
"Betty Faria, stars as Fausta, a quirky cleaning lady whose sexy swinging hips open teh door to a more comfortable life. When an old widower breaks the ice and buys Fausta perfume, and a drink, she sees a way out both her dead-end marriage and the shanty town traps her. The bawdy sitcom hilarity of Fausta and her relationships are infused with a deeper message in the film's startling conclusion."
Feliz ano velho
Roberto Gervitz. 1 VHS cassette : color. Portuguese, no subtitles, Feature film. Brazil, 1988. Actors: Marcos Breda, Malu Mader.
Fogo e paixao
Isay Weinfeld and Marcio Kogan. 1 VHS cassette: color. Portuguese, no subtitles, Feature film. Brazil, 1988. Actors: Mira Haar, Cristina Mutarelli, Fernanda Montenegro, Paulo Autran, and others.
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Guide to Rio de Janeiro
First Entertainment, Inc. 1 VHS cassette (35 mins.) : color. English (closed caption), documentary. U.S.A., 1993.
"Nestled between the mountains and the sea is the magnificent city of Rio de Janeiro -- an international jet-setter's paradise and home to the most beautiful beaches in the world! Begin your trip to Rio with a breathtaking view of the city from atop Sugar Loaf mountain. Take a cogwheel train straight up the mountain to the magnificent Corcovado Statue. Sail on an old wooden schooner, leisurely cruising the bay. Stop off at the Botanical Gardens with its world-famous Avenue of Palms and mammoth water lilies. Sunbathe on the sizzling beaches of Rio and the shimmering sands of Copacabana and Ipanema. When the sun goes down, watch Rio come alive at the glittering nightclubs and exotic samba shows." (from the video jacket)
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Hour of the Star
Suzana Amaral. 1 VHS cassette (96 mins.):color. Portuguese with English subtitles, Feature Film. Brazil, 1987. Actors: Marcella Cartaxo, Jose Dumont.
"Macabea is a young woman from the countryside of Brazil, who moves to the sprawling city of San Paolo. Her doomed quest for success amid the desperate poverty around her is tempered by the happiness she finds in her fantasies. The mixture of bitter reality and gentle, humorous fantasy has been compared with the best work of Fellini, Chaplin, and DeSica, and earnde Suzana Amaral's first feature status as an instant cinematic classic." (from the video jacket)
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Jorge: um brasileiro
Paulo Thiago. 1 VHS cassette : color. Portuguese no subtitles, Feature film. Brazil, 1988. Actors: Carlos Alberto Ricelli, Gloria Pires, Dean Stockwell, Denise Dumont.
Judeo, O (The Jew)
Jom Tob Azulay. 1 VHS cassette (85 mins.) : color. Portuguese with English subtitles. 1996. Actors: Filipe Pinheiro, Dina Sfat, Mario Viegas, Jose Lewgoy.
"In 18th Century Portugal, Antonio da Silva , a talented and popular writer with a reputation comparable to Moliere, is accused of heresy-of still, secretly, being a Jew. Da Silva is a "Converso", a hidden Jew who had converted to Catholicism. But when the forces of the Inquistion imprison him and give him a choice-admit to being a Jew or death by slow torture-da Silva must stand up to an ferocious church hierachy at odds with a decant monarchy."
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Lisbon
Istituto Geografico DeAgostini. 1 VHS cassette (30 mins.) : color English, Documentary. Italy, 1994.
"Discover the many fascinating facets of Lisbon. Once the richest city in Europe, presiding over an immense empire won by Portugal's brave discoverers, much of the city was destroyed by an earthquake in the mid-18th century. Today Lisbon welcomes visitors with charm and an air of relaxed elegance; the city projects a thoroughly modern image, colored by a legacy of greatness." (from video jacket)
Lisbon Story
Wim Wenders. 1 VHS cassette (100 mins.) : color. English, Portuguese, and German with English subtitles, Feature Film. Berlin, 1994. Actors: Rüdiger Vogler, Patrick Bauchau.
"Award-winning director Wim Wender's (The End of Violence, Paris , Texas ) beautifully photographed film mixes fact and fion as he reflects on the state of cinema today. When sound engineer Phillip WInter receives a cryptic message from his friend, a self-obsessed director Friedrich Monroe, he finds himself off to Lisbon. Upon his arrival, Monroe is nowhere to be found -- an unfinished, silent film on the editing table is the only clue to his whereabouts. As the weeks go by, Winter roams the beautiful streets of Lisbon recording sounds for the movie, falls in love with a singer, befriends the neighborhood children, and even has a run-in with some gangsters. Monroe eventually returns and Winter is able to convince him that the innocence of cinema still exists." (from the video jacket)
Luzia
Fabio Barreto. 1 VHS cassette (112 mins.) : color. Portuguese with English subtitles. Actors: Claudia Ohana, Thales Pan Chacon.
"Set on the vast and beautiful plains of central Brazil, Luzia is a movie in the tradition of American western starring the alluring Claudia Ohana as a cowgirl caught in a clash between squatters and the powerful ranch owners.Luzia's extraordinary rodeo skills and the stunning beauty attract the attention of the landowners whose history of marauding returns to gain revenge."
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Memórias do Cárcere
Nelson Pereira dos Santos. 2 VHS cassettes (185 mins.):color. Portuguese, no subtitles, Feature Film. Brazil, 1984. Actors: Carlos Vereza.
"Com um tom seco e direto na obra de Graciliano Ramos, Memórias do Cácere, trata de forma densa e comovente da conição humana. Realizado em 1984 pelo já consagrado cineasta Nelson Pereira dos Santos-um dos fundadores do cinema novo -- Memórias do Cácereconta a experiência vivida pelo escritor Graciliano Ramos apó ser preso em Alagoas, suspeito de colaborar com Aliança Nacional Libertadora (ALN). Graciliano Ramos que em 1936 ocupava o cargo de diretor da Instrução Pública do Estado de Alagoas é conduzido ao Rio de Janeiro onde sofre humilhação na Prisão da lha Grande. Da sua vivênca escreve, 15 anos depois, Memórias do Cárcere." (from the video jacket)
Memories of Prison see Memórias do Cárcere.
Menino do Rio
Antonio Calmon. 1 VHS cassette (106 mins.) : color. Portuguese no subtitles, Feature film. Brazil. Actors: André de Biase, Claudia Magno.
Menino Malquinho o filme
Helvécio Ratton. 1 VHS cassette:color. Portuguese, Feature Film.
"Malquinho (Samuel Costa) é um garoto tão menino quanto qualquer um outro de sua idade. Brincalhão, alegre, esperto e levado, ele teve a sorte de nascer numa famílis de classe média, que lhe da carinho e permite realizar todas as fantasias e diversões da infância. Isto não impede que ele também passe por alguns sustos. . . aqueles que tiram os pais do sério e ás vezes fazem a gente sair correndo do trabalho para acudir um filho que 'aprontou alguma daquelas'. . . No final dos anos 60, Malquinho vive suas aventuras com 'a turma': o gordinho Bocão, Junin, Lúcio, Herman, Julieta, Carol, e Nina. Em meio ás corridas de carinhos de rolimã, as gostosas travessras, as revistas de mulheres "peladas', as longos papos como Irene-- a empregada, babá e amiga de fé--o deslumbramento com as histórias dos livros, ele vai curtindo a sua vidinha, feliz. . . até dia em que seus pais resolvem se separar. . . " (from the video jacket)
Morte e vida Severina and Quincas berro d'água
1 VHS cassette (60 mins.) : color. Portuguese no subtitles, Feature films. Brazil, 1982.
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Noites do sertão
Carlos Alberto Prates. 1 VHS cassette (100 mins.) : color. Portuguese no subtitles, Feature film. Brazil Actors: Dèbora Bloch, Cristina Aché, Tony Ramos.
Nosso pais: Vol. 1 "Nordeste"; Vol. 2 "Sudeste"; Vol. 3 "Sul"; Vol. 4 "Centro-Oeste; Vol. 5 "Amazônia-Norte"; Vol. 6 "Brasil-Geral"
Video Coleção Brasil Cultural. 6 VHS cassettes (30 mins. each) : color. Portuguese, no subtitles, Documentary. Brazil, 1993.
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O Pagador de Promesas
1 VHS cassette (91 mins.):BW. Portuguese, no subtitles. Feature Film. Brazil, 1962. Actors:Leonardo Vilar, Dionísio Azevedo.
"Esta é um história que tem sua origin no sincretismo religioso, tão próprio da nossa gente. Zé do Burro, um caboclo simples, fex duas promesas para salvar o seu burro de estimação, ferido por um raio. Uma dessas promeseas era para Santa Bárbara (Iansá no ritual afro). Levaria uma cruz até a sua igreja em Salvador. Foi o que fez. Todavia, depois de peregrinar por mais de 40 quilômetros, esbarrou na intransigência do padre Olavo, que no havia prometido á Santa (ou Iansá?). Começa, então, a série de acontecimientos que movimienta a história. Seus ingredientes: agitação popular, cafajeste, jornalista inescrupuloso, políticos corruptos, aproveitadores. . . " (from the video jacket)
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Pixote: a lei do mais fraco
Hector Babenco. 1 VHS cassette : color. Portuguese no subtitles, Feature film. Brazil, 1980. Actors: Marilia Pera, Jardel Filho, Rubens de Falco, Beatriz Segall.
Portugal's Algarve Coast: Travels in Europe
Small World Productions. 1 VHS cassette (28 mins.):color. English, Documentary.USA, 1993.
"From the comfort of your home venture with travel author Rick Stevens to Europe's most memorable destinations and learn the basics of Do-It-Yourself travel."(from the video jacket)
Portugal: Land of discoveries
International Video Network. 1 VHS cassette (57 mins.) : color. English, Documentary. Gt. Brit., 1991.
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Quilombo
Carlos Diegues. 1 VHS cassette (114 mins.) : color. Portuguese with English subtitles, Feature film. Brazil, 1984.
"Quilombo, Carlos Diegues' historical saga is a stirring fusion of folklore, political impact, and dynamic storytelling, realized in vibrant tropical colors and set to the pulsing beat of Gilberto Gil's rhythmic musical score. The story derives from fact: in 17th century Brazil, groups of runaway black slaves escaped to the mountainous jungle strongholds, where they formed self-governing communities known as quilombos . Like Alex Haley's Roots, this film chronicles Palmares, the most famous of these "Black Eldorados" which flourished for several decades under the reign of the legendary chieftain Ganga Zumba." (from the video jacket)
Quincas berro d'agua see Morte e vida Severina.
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Raoni: The Fight For the Amazon
Jean-Pierre Dutilleux. 1 VHS cassette (82 mins.) : color. English, Documentary. USA, 1979. (narrated by Marlon Brando).
"Raoni is the charismatic chieftain of the dwindling Megkronoti tribe, who have inhabited the Amazon river basin since the beginning of human memory. In his fight to defend the Indians' land and life against the juggernaut of consumer civilization, Raoni has achieved international recognition as the spokesperson for all of Brazil's remaining Indians. The irony that pervades Raoni is overwhelming and painful. His heroic journey opens even farther horizons to him, and at the same time his own world shrinks toward the vanishing point. Life among the Megkronoti is antithetical to that of the "civilized" world. Its basis is harmony with -- not conquest of-- nature. Authority derives from personal rather than political or economic power. Their sense of time is inexorably linked to the natural rhythms of the earth, their patterns dominated by the search for food, by the seasons, and by rituals, with long rests for dreaming and meditation. `Survive and celebrate' is their ethos" (from the video jacket)
Rei do Rio
Fabio Barreto. 1 VHS cassette (107 mins.) : color. Portuguese no subtitles, Feature film, Brazil. Actors: Nuno Leal Maia, Nelson Xavier, Milton Gançalves, Amparo Grizales.
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Sanjoaninas na Terceira
Sergio Lago. 1 VHS cassette (60 mins.):color. Portuguese, no subtitles. Documentary, 1995.
"As Festas Sanjoaninas são actualmente um dos mais importantes e esperados festejos da liha Terceira, no Arquipélago dos Açores. Durante uma semana, o povo da Terceira e também das outras ilhas do arquipélago, réune-se nas praças e nas ruas de cicade para celebrar apresentação de cantorias, folclore, grupos de foliões, cantores populares, touradas á corda e touradas de praça. Isto sem falar nas procissões em homenagem a Espíritu Santo e nas Marchas de São João. Este video, preparado pela equipa de PBN, reúne o melhor das Festas Sanjoaninas, com toda a riqueza e tradionalismo típicos da cultura da llha Terceira." (from the video jacket)
Savage Capitalism (Capitalismo Salvaje)
Andre Klotzel. 1 VHS cassette (86 mins.) : color. Portuguese with English subtitles, Feature Film. Brazil, 1993. Actors: Fernando Torres, Jose Mayer, Maria Orth, Marcelo Tass.
"This blockbuster brazilian feature uses soap-opera melodrama to tell the story of a beautiful romance between a reporter and a mining company executive. But the romance crumbles when the executive's wife, king presumed dead, returns and drives the couple, the company, and the country to the brink of a national disaster."
Soho Sem Fem
Lauro Escorel Filho. 1 VHS cassette (93 mins.) : color. Portuguese.
"O cinema brasileiro também tem seus heróis. O gaúcho Eduardo Abelim, um desses heróis, inspirou o primeiro longa-metragem de Eduardo Escorel Filho, o telentoso diretor de fotografia responsável, entre otras, pelas imagens de "Lúcio Flávio, O Passageiro da Agonia", "Bye Bye Brasil", "Eles não Usam Black-tie" e "Eu Sei Que Vou te Amar". É com esse talento que "Sonho sem Fim" recria a vida e os filmes de Eduardo Abelim, um genial aventureiro que, entre outras peripécias, fazia acrobacias em automóveis para promover seus filmes. Dava consultas e aulas sobre ocultismo. E chegou até a participar, como documentarista, da Revolução de 30. Com uma belíssima reconstituição de época, na música e nos cenários, e um elenco privilegiado, o filme conta a louca trajetória dessa singular personalidade bradileira. Mais que um filme sobra a paixão do cinema, "Sonho sem Filme" é uma elegia da persistência, da aventura e da coragem de inventar. Assisti-lo é participar dessa aventura."
Song of Brazil
Jean Manzon. 1 VHS cassette (83 mins.) : color. English, Documentary.
Spirit of Samba: Black Music of Brazil, The
1 VHS cassette. English, Documentary. USA, 1990.
Stelinhe
Marta Luz. 1VHS cassette (111 mins.): color. Portuguese, no subtitles, Feature Film.
Story of Fausta, The
Bruno Barreto. 1VHS cassette (90 mins.):color. Portuguese with English subtitles. Feature Film, 1988. Actors:Betty Faria, Daniel Filho, Brendão Filho.
"Betty Faria (The Rising Star, Bye Bye Brazil, Out of My Way) stars as Fausta, a quirky cleaning lady whose sexy swinging hips open the door to a more comfortable life. When an old widower breaks the ice and buys Fausta perfume and a drink. She sees a way out of both her dead-end marriage and the shanty town that traps her. The bawdy sitcom hilarity of Fausta and her relationships are infused with a deeper message in the film's starting conclusion." (from the video jacket)
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Taking Aim
Monica Frota. 1 VHS cassette (41mins.): color. Portuguese, English subtitles, Documentary. Brazil, 1985.
"In 1985, Monica Frota, an independent Brazilian film/videomaker collaborated with the Kayapo of the Brazilian rainforest to develop "Mekaron Opoi d'joi," the first Kayapo media project. "Taking Aim" is a witty, provocative exploration of issues of power and representation. Ultimately, "Taking Aim" challenges the stereotypical portrayals of traditional societies perpetuated by conventional ethnographic film and video." (from the video jacket)
Terceira Marcem do Rio, A
Ney Santana and Dora Svenerner. 1 VHS cassette (94 mins.): color. Portuguese, no subtitles, Feature film. Actors: Ilya Sao Paulo, Sonija Saurin, Maria ribeiro, Barbara Brant, Mariane Vicentini, Chico Diaz.
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Veja Esta canção
Carlos Diegues. 1 VHS cassette (114 mins.):color. Portuguese, no subtitles. Feature Film. Brazil, 1994. Actors: Fernanda Montenegro, Deborah Bloch, Pedro Cardoso, Leon Goes.
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Xica da Silva
Carlos Diegues. 1 VHS cassette (107 mins.) : color. Portuguese no subtitles, Feature film. Brazil, 1976. Actors: Zezé Motta, Elke Maravilha, Walmor Chagas, José Wilker.
"The story of the legendary black slave Xica da Silva whom Diegues calls 'our Joan of Arc, sort of'. An 18th-century diamond rush turns the interior of Brazil into a new El Dorado, a place of fabulous wealth and excess where Xica parlays a unique, untamed sexual talent into a rise to power that makes her the unofficial Empress of Brazil. This festive exercise in Brazilian Baroque is dominated by Zeze Mota, a combination of Eartha Kitt and Carmen Miranda, performing an attention-getting striptease and a wild African mating dance." (African Cinema)