Selton Mello’s career is celebrated especially on MUBI; check out films coming to streaming

MUBI — producer, distributor and streaming service — announced the special Selton Mello: 40 Years of Cinemaas part of the initiative that celebrates the filmmaker’s 40-year career.

Six films “that show the rare talent and versatility of one of the main names in Brazilian cinema of all time” arrive on the platform this Friday, 24th. Check out the titles:

Lavoura Arcaica (2001)

In São Paulo in the 1940s, Pedro (Leonardo Medeiros, Blind goat) is tasked with bringing back his brother André (Selton Mello), who moved away from his family because he had a domineering father (Raul Cortez, The Case of the Naves Brothers), an overly affectionate mother (Juliana Carneiro da Cunha, Ebb) and Pedro’s jealousy regarding his father’s favoritism. What complicates André’s return is his unusual relationship with his sister, Ana (Juliana Carneiro da Cunha, The Year My Parents Went on Vacation). Considered one of the best Brazilian films ever made, this family saga Luiz Fernando Carvalho is starred by Selton Mello, in an overwhelming performance, as a prodigal son dominated by desires and taboos. He was awarded at several festivals, among them, Montreal World Film Festival, Rio Festival, São Paulo International Film Festival It is Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival.

The Smell of the Drain (2006)

Directed by Heitor Dhaliathis dark comedy tells the story of Lourenço (Selton Mello), owner of a pawn shop who buys used objects from desperate residents, whether for his perverse power games or for his own livelihood. However, he loses control of his life when he meets a waitress (Paula Braun, Life of a Clerk) and the smell of his store drain. Selton Mello lends his irresistible charm to a darkly comic embodiment of narcissism in a masterfully complex performance. In 2006, the film was awarded at the São Paulo exhibition and in Rio Festival. The following year, it was shown at Sundance Festival.

A Story of Love and Fury (2013)

Selton Mello lends his iconic voice to this animation, directed by Luiz Bolognesi, about an almost 600-year-old man who follows the history of Brazil. While seeking the resurrection of his beloved, Janaína (Camila Pitanga, Basic Sanitation – The Movie), it goes through battles between Tupinambás and Tupiniquins, before the Portuguese arrived in the country, through resistance to the military dictatorship until the water war in 2096. It received the award for Best Film at the Annecy Animation Film Festival in 2013.

The Mouse Weed (2008)

Two strangers meet (Selton Mello It is Alessandra Negrini, 2 Rabbits) in a cemetery by the sea, and he takes care of her, creating a unique relationship, telling stories and photographing her. Everything changes when a mouse destroys the photos and he begins to realize that the mouse has a deeper role in his life than it seems. With direction from Julio Bressane It is Rosa Diasis inspired by two short stories by Machado de Assis. It was shown on Venice Festival 2008.

Merry Christmas (2008)

Gaius (Leonardo Medeiros) is 40 years old and works in a scrapyard in the countryside. Close to Christmas, he decides to return home. Today, Caio has a partner and a constant occupation, but in the past he led a life of great irresponsibility, marking his family with a tragedy that seems to have no end. The approach of Christmas makes him take stock, deciding to return home, and his visit could set fire to a home already in ruins. A rare gem rediscovered by MUBI. The powerful debut of Selton Mello director delves into the dark heart of the festive season, marking the return to screen of the 1960s icon Darlene Gloria. Oscillating between realism and visual poetry, shot in 16mm, the filmmaker scales the suffocating weight of family heartbreak. It was shown and awarded at several festivals, including the Havana Festival, Rio Festival It is São Paulo International Film Festival.

The Clown (2011)

Benjamin (Selton) and Valdemar (Paulo José, Macunaíma) form the fabulous clown duo Pangaré and Puro Sangue. They live on the roads in the company of the fun troupe Circo Esperança. But Benjamim believes he has lost his grace and goes on an adventure to make his dream come true. As director, co-writer and protagonist, Selton Mello reinvents the road movie with this elegant and profound blockbuster. Revealing the existential melancholy behind a painted smile, the film contemplates the life of an actor and the burdens of family legacy with a rare sense of humor. The film, a contemporary classic, was a huge box office and critical success, winning awards at dozens of festivals around the world, among them, the Chicago International Film Festival in 2011, and in Grand Prize of Brazilian Cinema in 2012, in which it became the most awarded film of all editions, winning 12 awards, a record intact to this day at the festival’s Brazilian Cinema Academy.