The film “Mars Um” was chosen to represent Brazil in the Best International Film category at the Oscars, and Olhar Digital spoke about the film with director Gabriel Martins and actress Camilla Damião.
Telling the story of the Martins, a lower-middle-class family from Contagem, in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, who find themselves in the midst of the revelation of the great dream of their youngest member, the boy Deivinho (Cícero Lucas ), to become an astrophysicist and join the Mars One colonization project on the planet Mars.
“I feel that the Martins family is a portrait of the Brazilian family in general. I think we were able to bring out in a very natural, very simple, and therefore, in my opinion, very sophisticated way, what this Brazilian family is. For me it’s a portrait, it’s a mirror, ”explained actress Camilla Damião, who plays the character of Eunice, Deivinho’s older sister.
The film was recently selected by the Brazilian Academy of Film and Audiovisual Arts as Brazil’s representative at the 2023 Oscars. But the film centered on a boy’s dream emerged soon after a nightmare that plagued the Brazilian population: the Brazilian Cup. World 2014, in which our national team was eliminated with an embarrassing 7-1 against Germany.
“The ‘Mars Um’ emerged in 2014 after the World Cup, thinking a lot about the whole relationship of the Brazilian company was to have a big event like the Cup, but at the same time many political and social contradictions”, began Gabriel Martins. Gabito, director and screenwriter of “Mars One”.
Martins continued: “A sort of identity crisis of the Brazilian people that led me to this idea: talking about a lower-middle-class family that had its challenges there, and that could talk a lot about what our Brazil is. . May this family be a vehicle to talk about dreams, impossible dreams and challenges that our society poses to us “.
Despite being a low-income black family, Camilla Damião believes that any Brazilian family, whether from a higher social class or mostly white, will be able to identify with the Martins.
“I think that one of the tentacles of racism, of this whole structure that unfortunately we live with 24 hours a day [por dia], is dehumanizing blacks. And what Gabito was able to do with this script, with this cast, with the way he directed this film and also gave us the freedom to bring these characters to life, was to humanize the blacks, “he explained.
Damião also stressed the fact that although the film is about racism, it didn’t even need to mention the word “racism”, nor to put this leading family in situations of violence.
“I think that from this humanization we have universalized the discourse. So, in that sense, anyone who sees this film will be able to see himself [nele]. Who has a dream, who is afraid, who has a father, who has a mother, who has a brother, who has an aunt, who has relationships with other people. Either way, anyone you love will see this movie and see themselves, ”the actress said.
The director also reflected on how the film conveys this portrayal of the Brazilian family. “I think ‘Mars One’ is a film that reflects this society. Discussing it broadly and deeply. I see that it is a film that puts itself into question to make us reflect a little on all these issues that involve us, they put us as a challenge, as a group, in everyday life. ‘Mars Um’ is to discuss this family which could be the Martins family, but which could be the Brasil family, “concluded Gabriel Martins.
“Mars One” at the Oscars
“Mars Um” was chosen last Monday to represent Brazil in the Best International Film category, at the biggest award in world cinema: the Oscars. And Martins and Damião reflected on this great moment.
“I don’t think my record has sunk yet, to be honest. I don’t understand very well, ”the actress said with a laugh. “I’m very happy, I think it was a good indication. To be very honest, and I’m not saying that because I’m in the cast and I’m not at work. I think so, it is the film that deserves to represent Brazil and that it is a film that has a technical and human potential to represent Brazilian cinema today. So I think it was an assertive indication of them. I think the film is also about dreaming again, and I think we are dreaming, ”she concluded.
“Very happy to have been chosen to represent the country at the Oscars,” said the director in turn. “I think this film represents a lot of Brazil, it represents a lot of what Brazilian cinema can be, who is on the screen, who is behind the screen, who is there to make this film. Filmes de Plástico as a sort of representation of several other production companies very similar to ours, [que] producing so many beautiful things ”.
For being the first Brazilian film to be a finalist in the Best International Film category, before Best Foreign Film, after “Central do Brasil”, Gabriel Martins classified the mission as “a fight of David against Goliath”.
“Because it is a system that is difficult to enter, it is a very expensive system to manage the campaign and we do not have, immediately, a great force driving this film that is linked to the Oscars besides the film itself and our willpower”, Gabito explained.
But that doesn’t mean it’s a mission impossible. “But in that sense it can be very big, right? And we have a huge desire to take on this task with honor and carry it out, with everything we need. Doing a job with dignity, willpower and very inspired to think about what “Mars Um” can be for Brazil and to believe that this award can come, “she said.
“Marte Um” was screened in some Brazilian cities, and actress Camilla Damião launched an appeal: “Go to the cinema!”.
“I hope we have public policies for this film to reach the suburbs,” he said. “But the people who can afford it, who can go to the cinema, let them go! Let them occupy these spaces in the rooms. Because making films in Brazil is very difficult. It occupies cinemas all over Brazil! ” she asked.
The “Mars One” post: “Anyone you love will see you in this movie,” says the actress first appeared on Olhar Digital.
Source: Olhar Digital
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