FIVE NEW POWERHOUSE FILMS FROM BRAZIL

City of God (2002) Katia Lund & Fernando Meirelles DVD & VHS. Youth gangs do battle in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. Violent and compelling. Official site.

The Man of the Year (2003) Jose Henrique Fonseca DVD. Biting and stylized look at a nobody who goes from hero to outlaw in 24 hours. Tarantino meets El Mariachi. Offical site.

The Middle of the Road (2003) Vicente Amorim DVD. A man and his family travel over 3000 miles by bicycle in search of work. Based on a true story. Review from Jigsaw lounge.

Bus 174 (2003) Felipe Lacerda & Jose Padilha DVD & VHS. Documentary about the hijacking of a bus by an armed young man who threatens to shoot all the passengers.
A shocking portrait of Brazilian society. Official site.

Carandiru (2003) Hector Babenco DVD (arriving 9/21/04). Potent prison drama based on the real life experiences of doctor Drauzio Varella inside dreadful State penitentiary Carandiru. Official site.

HERE IS A LIST OF ALL OUR BRAZILIAN FILMS:

Amor Bandido (1979) Bruno Barreto VHS.
Someone is killing cab drivers in the posh Copacabana district of Rio de Janeiro-and a policeman's daughter suspects that the murderer might be her lover.
Behind the Sun (2001) Walter Salles DVD & VHS. In the 1910 desert landscape of the Brazilian Northeast, a young man questions the tradition of violence and non-stop killing between two rival families.
Black Orpheus (1959) Marcel Camus DVD & VHS. A retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, set during the time of the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Winner of the Best Foreign Film Oscar.
Bossa Nova (2000) Bruno Barreto VHS. Romantic entanglements in Rio with Amy Irving as an English teacher looking for love.
Bus 174 (2003) Felipe Lacerda & Jose Padilha DVD & VHS. (see above)
Bye Bye Brazil (1980) Carlos Diegues VHS. The Carnival Rolidei faces modern competition as the troupe travels from town to town. Fun.
Carandiru (2003) Hector Babenco DVD. (see above)
Central Station (1998) Walter Salles VHS. Beautiful and wrenching. Fernanda Montenegro was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. She plays a lonely schoolteacher who takes a distressed young boy under her wing.
City of God (2002) Katia Lund & Fernando Meirelles DVD & VHS. (see above)
Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (1977) Bruno Barreto VHS. Sonia Braga in 1940's Brazil experiences the highs and lows of sexual awakening.
Four Days in September (1997) Bruno Barreto VHS. Alan Arkin plays a kidnapped American ambassador in this highly intelligent film about the complexities of radical political action.
Gabriela (1984) Bruno Barreto VHS. Marcello Mastroianni plays a middle-aged bar owner who is intrigued by a sexy young woman (Sonia Braga) in the picturesque town of Parati.
How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman (1971) Nelson Pereira dos Santos VHS. The Indians get their revenge against the colonizers in this frequently amusing look at the settling of Brazil.
Madame Sata (2002) Karim Ainouz DVD & VHS. Loose portrait of Joao Francisco dos Santos, a notorious gay performer who pushed boundaries in a volatile time (30's and 40's Rio)
The Man of the Year (2003) Jose Henrique Fonseca DVD. (see above)
The Middle of the Road (2003) Vicente Amorim DVD. (see above)
Orfeu (1999) Carlos Diegues VHS. A new interpretation of the Orpheus myth. An undeniably real look at the racial prejudices and gang violence that exist in the slums of Rio, yet also creative, beautiful and powerful.
Pixote (1981) Hector Babenco VHS. The heartbreaking story of a streetwise 10-year old boy living on the streets of Sao Paolo.
Quilombo (1984) Carlos Diegues VHS. In 17th century colonial Brazil, a settlement of escaped slaves tries to survive in the face of racism, colonialism, and militarism.
Subway to the Stars (1987) Carlos Diegues VHS. A moody, noirish film that explores both personal loss and social disintegration in present day Rio de Janeiro.
Xica (1976) Carlos Diegues VHS. Minas Gerais, 1850. Xica is a beautiful slave who utilizes her influence over men to get more power. A satirical commentary about a real life Brazilian folk hero.

FILMS WITH A BRAZILIAN CONNECTION

At Play in the Fields of the Lord (1991) Hector Babenco VHS. Mesmerizing tale of two couple's life-changing experiences with a native Indian tribe deep in the Brazilian rainforest. Starring Aidan Quinn, Kathy Bates, John Lithgow, and Daryl Hannah.
The Burning Season (1994) John Frankenheimer VHS. Raul Julia plays Chico Mendes in this fact-based drama about the fight against development in the rainforest.
The Emerald Forest (1985) John Boorman VHS. Powers Boothe plays an American dam engineer whose son is kidnapped by a rainforest tribe and brought up as one of their own.
Flying Down to Rio (1933) Thornton Freeland VHS. Fred Astaire and Delores del Rio rip it up in this frothy Hollywood musical.
It’s All True (1993) Orson Welles (and more) VHS. Documentary about Orson Welles, which touches upon Welles' concern for the poor in Brazil. Lost footage and more.
Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) Hector Babenco VHS. A penetrating look at the role of entertainment in a politically oppressive regime. William Hurt won the Oscar, portraying a homosexual sharing a jail cell with a tortured activist played by Raul Julia.
The Rundown (2003) Peter Berg DVD & VHS. The Rock in the rainforest. Action ensues.
Tigrero: A Film That Was Never Made (1994) Mika Kaurismaki VHS. Sam Fuller revisits the Amazon with Jim Jarmusch where in 1954 he shot footage for a film starring John Wayne.