Elis & Tom documentary shows how an ‘unlikely’ album shows the power of music and art, says director

Almost 50 years ago, Brazilian music (perhaps the world) would change forever. Two completely different, but equally talented artists, would leave for Los Angeles, United States, to record one of the most important studio albums in history: Elis & Tom. In fact, the documentary Elis and Tom, It Just Had to Be With You goes behind the scenes of this iconic partnership between Elis Regina It is Tom Jobim.

Directed by Roberto de Oliveira, the production hit theaters on September 21, 2023 and is still showing in Brazilian cinemas. The documentary follows the historical context of the duo of artists, as well as conflicts and friendship between them to achieve Elis & Tomreleased in 1974.

During an interview with Rolling Stone Brazil, the filmmaker, who was present at the recordings in Los Angeles, recalled the difficulties in starting the film. In addition to the logistics of Brazilians going to a studio to film the creative process of an album, there were other factors that complicated it.

“The meeting of Elis It’s from Tone There were some precedents that complicated the situation a little. They placed the two in antagonistic positions. A little shyness Elis in relation to the Tonewho was already a very established guy, and she was a little intimidated in front of him,” he said.

In season, Antonio Carlos Jobim he was 47 years old and was considered largely responsible for bossa nova and had even formed partnerships with the greatest musicians on the planet at the time, such as Frank Sinatra. Already Elis Regina She was about to turn 29 and was in the early years of her career, but she had already impressed and conquered the whole of Brazil – and there was even pressure for her to have an international career, something that never materialized.

There was also a problem of a misunderstanding in Brazil, a comment that the Tone would have refused to Elis in a test. At first it started with a bit of conflict, with a bit of difficulty, but as soon as they entered the studio, the miracle of music happened and everything started to become very beautiful, very good.

Second Oliveira, Elis and Tom, It Just Had to Be With You shows how “musical creation, a work of art, has the power to bring together even opposites. At that moment, that was a bit the case with them.
But it was a little difficult to do, but it was worth it.”

The filming team had a certain obstacle within the studio. In addition to the space not being prepared to receive a film crew, the people behind the cameras could not make any noise while the microphones were on.

“But it was cool that the camera was like that, kind of clandestine and prohibited in there. So the images were cool, beautiful and they were also very comfortable,” explained the director. “They didn’t really notice the presence of the film.”

Elis and Tom, Só Had de Ser com Você is for all audiences

The language of the documentary is quite broad and explains a lot about who they were Elis Regina It is Tom Jobim, whether before or after the recordings and release of their album. “I wasn’t thinking about a nostalgic work, but thinking about new audiences,” he commented Roberto de Oliveira.

“So that’s why the film begins with a retrospective of the two, their careers, so that anyone who hasn’t been around him can understand who these artists are, their importance. I’ll talk about Elis’ death, which I think is the great paradox of this story,” he continued.

I mean, such an important singer, singing so beautifully, a beautiful person with enormous success, who left at 36 years old. Brazil is still shocked by this to this day.

Not only that, there is also the question of the music itself, of what kind of songs they made at the time, and who these artists were. “There are several stories that permeate the meeting and will open up possibilities for discussions, other comments and for people to reflect a little on the film.”

Why the ‘delay’ in releasing the documentary, 50 years after the release of Elis & Tom?

As Roberto de Oliveira explained to Rolling Stone Brazil, it was necessary to be very careful when filming a historic meeting. He knew time would be good for Elis and Tom, It Just Had to Be With You. It is worth remembering how the album is highly acclaimed, both outside and inside Brazil.

The time it took to put together allowed us to see this story better from a privileged perspective. It was easier to move to the cinema, everything was already sorted out. I don’t know if I made this film a few years after the album it would be as cool as it is now, at least for me it was very complete.

One of the main points of support for the director and the film’s production team was the family of the two artists. During the recordings of the album, in 1974, there were Elizabeth “Beth” Jobim It is João Marcello Bôscoli.

“Families have always been supportive, they’ve always liked it, now they’re loving the film, they’re enjoying it because it’s an opportunity to see their parents, their mother’s John and the father of Beth, in a time that they don’t remember exactly, so they get very emotional,” he said. “They didn’t create any problems. On the contrary, they helped the film’s production a lot.”

Not just to show how music was made in the 1970s and before, Elis and Tom, It Just Had to Be With You is “very important for Brazilian culture,” according to Oliveira. As he opined, the documentary is a record for people today, for young people and those who are consuming music now, to realize the difference (not for the worse, or better) that exists in the music industry of the past and present.

For Roberto de Oliveira, music is currently more utilitarian for you to profess a faith, call people to an idea, bring together and celebrate. At that time, it was more focused on creating a work of art.

This change is interesting. The song as it existed at that time no longer exists. She changed. So I think this album has a lot to teach, show and clarify.