Editor’s Note: Jo Mattos’ quote was translated from Portuguese.
Cine Latino, an annual festival celebrating Latino filmmaking hosted by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Film Society, opened Wednesday night at the Main Cinema.
Until Sunday, the festival will be showing a variety of films, short films and documentaries from all over Latin America, as well as Spain. An opening night celebration hosted next to the theater at Pracna took place on Wednesday featuring live music from local group Bossa Soul and a delightfully delicious array of Brazilian finger foods, including coxinhas, a fried dumpling filled with shredded chicken, manioc croquettes and mini-tapiocas filled with goiabada, a guava jam.
Conversations in Spanish and Portuguese echoed throughout the halls as guests mingled while excitedly waiting for the screening of the night’s feature.
For the first time in its 12-year history, Cine Latino opened with a Brazilian film, the U.S. debut of “Ainda Estou Aqui,” directed by Walter Salles. The film is an adaptation of Marcelo Paiva’s 2015 novel of the same name.
“Ainda Estou Aqui” is a true story about how Paiva’s mother and father were persecuted by the Brazilian government for suspicion of treason. A visually stunning film whose cinematography captures the essence of life in 1970s Rio de Janeiro, the film beautifully tells the story of the family’s perseverance during one of the darkest times in Brazilian history.
For those of you who do not know, in 1964 a U.S.-backed coup d’état overthrew Brazil’s democratic government and replaced it with a ruthlessly oppressive conservative dictatorship. The military regime ruled with an iron fist, censoring the media, exiling intellectuals and killing dissidents.
The story of “Ainda Estou Aqui” revolves around Paiva’s mother, Eunice, and her struggles caring for her five children after her husband, Rubens, is kidnapped and murdered by the Brazilian government. At 48 years old, Eunice received her law degree and spent the rest of her life fighting for social justice and human rights on a national and international level.
Fernanda Torres, daughter of iconic Brazilian actress Fernanda Montenegro, gives an incredible performance as Eunice Paiva. In every scene her performance is incredibly emotional and deeply touching, truly bringing the film’s story to life.
Bringing these stories to Cine Latino is important because it allows others to see Latino experiences and stories from Latinos themselves, said Jo Mattos, a member of the Brazil Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce is one of Cine Latino’s many sponsors.
“It’s important to share our culture with Americans,” Mattos said.
Even though some of the films are about the dire situations in Latin American countries, artistic director Hebe Tabachnik said Cine Latino is like a party. She said the festival’s events will feature music, dancing and a good time.
Tabachnik said festivals like Cine Latino are important because they often screen films that do not have wide releases in the U. S. Festivals draw audiences who are truly interested in the language of cinema, regardless of any language barriers, she said.
“It’s an opportunity for film lovers to gather and have a moment,” Tabachnik said.
Cine Latino will be showing both underrated classics like “Central do Brasil” and new films from underrepresented cultures like “Ozogoche,” a documentary about a Kichwa community in the Ecuadorian Andes.
If the only Latino movies you know are “Rio” and “Coco,” you should familiarize yourself with the classics of Latin American cinema. Whether you watch “Y Tu Mamá También” or “Tropa de Elite,” you will not be disappointed.
