Lula, o filho do Brasil
Encyclopedia
Lula, The Son of Brazil is a 2009 biographical Brazilian drama film
based on the early life of former Brazilian president
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
. Directed by Academy Award-nominated director Fábio Barreto
, the film was released on January 1, 2010. Upon its release, Lula, the son of Brazil was the most expensive Brazilian film ever, with a budget of over 17 million reais
, being later surpassed by Nosso Lar
. On September 23, 2010, the film was unanimously chosen by a Ministry of Culture commission as Brazil's submission to the 83rd Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
, a municipality in the countryside of Pernambuco
, when Luiz Inácio da Silva, nicknamed Lula, is born as the seventh child of Dona Lindu and Aristides. Two weeks after his birth, Aristides moves to Santos, a coastal city in São Paulo
, with Dona Mocinha, a cousin of Dona Lindu. Lindu raises Lula's siblings alone until December 1952, when the family moves to Santos to meet the patriarch. Upon their arrival, Dona Lindu discovers that Aristides had formed a second family with Dona Mocinha.
Aristides' two families lives in the same house and, as time goes on, they struggle to survive. Lula and his siblings attend elementary school and work as street vendors. Later, Lindu leaves the alcoholic and abusive Aristides and moves with her children to São Paulo
. Lula receives a degree as lathe operator and gets a formal job in the car industry, where he loses a finger in a press. This and his brother Ziza's arrest leads him into trade union activism, which made him nationally known in a period when such activities were forbidden. Lula is incarcerated for his activities, just as his mother dies.
João Miguel, better known for his role in Cinema, Aspirinas e Urubus, was initially cast as Lula, but declined due to scheduling problems. Tay Lopez was then cast, but declined due to medical reasons, since the role required him to gain and lose weight quickly and he suffers from hypertension
. Little known 30-year-old stage actor Rui Ricardo Dias
was then cast as Lula. Other cast members includes Glória Pires
as Lula's mother Dona Lindu, Cléo Pires
as Lula's first wife Lourdes and Juliana Baroni
as Marisa Letícia Lula da Silva. Lucélia Santos
, a close friend of Lula, played a small role as his teacher. Milhem Cortaz
, known for playing a corrupt police officer in the Golden Bear
-winning film Tropa de Elite
, was cast as Lula's father Aristides.
The film was produced by Luiz Carlos Barreto and Paula Barreto, father and sister of the director, respectively. The budget of the film was relatively high for Brazilian cinema
standards: over 17 million reais (more than 9.5 million U.S. dollars). The Barretos, which supported Lula on both 2002
and 2006
presidential elections, claimed to have obtained the budget without government funds in order to repel criticism from their work. According to Agência Estado
, however, the film was sponsored by several contractors, something extremely unusual for the Brazilian film market. Three of these companies maintain direct business with the federal government.
The shooting of the film began in late January 2009 in the Pernambuco
municipality of Garanhuns
, Lula's hometown. In February, the second phase of the production began in Santos and Guarujá
, cities on the coast of São Paulo
where Lula spent most of his childhood. The shooting was predicted to end on March 21, 2009. The film was then edited in time to premiere in some film festivals prior to its wide release in Brazilian cinemas on January 1, 2010.
Supporting cast:
, and this is a reason why Paraná decided to write her book, which was also her Ph.D.
dissertation at the University of São Paulo
History School. During her research for the book, Paraná interviewed Lula himself and several people connected to him. According to her, while listening to Lula's statements, she thought that it was "a poorly written movie script, because everything fits".
Among the facts of Lula's life and the history of Brazil that "fits" together, according to the author, are the death of his first wife by malpractice during labour
at the same time that Brazil had one of the highest rates in the world of death in childbirth
, the migration
of his family to São Paulo
at the same time which Brazil was struggling with its largest internal migration wave and Lula's father developing alcoholism
at the same time there was an epidemic incidence of this disease in the Northeast
region of Brazil.
. The musical taste of Lula was faithfully followed in the preparation of the soundtrack. He requested the sertanejo
duo Zezé Di Camargo & Luciano
to record "Meu Primeiro Amor", a version of "Lejanía" by Paraguay
an composer Herminio Giménez
adapted into Portuguese by José Fortuna. The former president also requested the inclusion of two remarkable songs in his life and emotional memories: "Nossa Canção", a romantic samba
by Luiz Ayrão, recorded by Nana Caymmi
especially for the soundtrack, and "Desesperar Jamais" by Ivan Lins
and Vitor Martins, recorded by Ivan and samba player Roberto Ribeiro. The soundtrack is complemented with songs contemporary to the years represented in the film, such as "Sentimental Demais" by Altemar Dutra, "Estúpido Cupido
" by Celly Campelo, "Saudosa Maloca" by Demônios da Garoa
, and even "Pra Frente Brasil", an anthem for the Brazilian national football team during the 1970 FIFA World Cup
. The film's soundtrack album was released a month before the film, marking the first time this has ever happened in Brazil.
on November 18, 2009, although it was not chosen for the festival's competitive selection. At least 300 people from the Palácio do Planalto
attended. In Lula's homestate of Pernambuco, the film premiered in Recife
on November 19, being attended by several politicians and the president's relatives. On November 28, Lula himself attended the film's premiere in São Bernardo do Campo
, the city where he began his political activity. The film also premiered in João Pessoa
and Rio de Janeiro
later in 2009. According to Regina Rito's gossip column on newspaper O Dia
, the film's international premiere was held in Washington, D.C.
at the request of American president Barack Obama
. On January 1, 2010 the film received its wide release, debuting at over 500 cinemas all over Brazil.
Unionized workers were able to purchase the film's tickets for 5 reais (about 2,5 U.S. dollars) between November 20 and December 31, 2009 after a deal made between labour unions Central Única dos Trabalhadores
and Força Sindical
and the producers. Since its wide release on January 1, 2010, unionized workers were able to buy tickets with a 50% discount.
The film's DVD release happened on May 2009. It has affordable prices, from 10 to 12 reais (around 5 to 7 U.S. dollars), in order to counteract piracy
. The DVD has more than 10 extra features, including an exclusive interview with Lula about the film. Upon the DVD release, Tadeu Damiani, president of the Union of Video Rentals of the State of São Paulo and member of opposition party PPS
, had sent an open letter to 2,800 video rental
stores in the state recommending that they should not buy or rent the film. He spread his plea throughout video rental associations and trade unions in the country. The reason he gave for starting the campaign was the fact that Lula had watched 2 Filhos de Francisco
before being lunched, encouraging piracy. But, there is no evidence that proves that President Lula had watched by illegal means.
On September 23, 2010, Lula, the son of Brazil premiered in Argentina
. It was screened on 20 cinemas in Buenos Aires
, La Plata
and Mar del Plata
. The release in Argentina had been delayed for four months in order to enjoy the atmosphere of the presidential election in Brazil
. Initially, the producers had planned to release the film simultaneously in all South America
n countries, but logistical issues and the reduced time prevented the plan from taking place. In the United States
, the premiere is scheduled for February or March 2011. The distribution will be done by New Yorker Films
, which had dropped the film after the Brazil–Turkey–Iran agreement in fear of a boycott led by the Jewish
community. The film's ending clip has been modified for foreign audiences. According to producer Luiz Carlos Barreto, the international distributors wanted to highlight Lula's consecration as a global leader. "Instead of pictures in the Northeast
, with his family, they want pictures with Obama and the Queen of England. We had this available, but avoided putting it in the original version in order not to get very jingoistic
", he said.
The film has two scheduled dates for television premiere. It shall be featured on Canal Brasil's programming in February if the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
announces that the film will compete for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
. Otherwise, it will be aired in March, in accordance with the rules of the Academy.
After watching the film in London
, British Indian actor Ben Kingsley
said that "this film is important for the whole world", adding that "[Lula's] history is bigger than Gandhi's". Kingsley won the Academy Award for Best Actor
in 1982 for his performance as Mahatma Gandhi in the eponymous film
.
in Brazil, criticized the film for "failing to mention that Lula abandoned his girlfriend, Miriam Cordeiro, when she was six months pregnant". Lurian Cordeiro, Lula's daughter with Miriam, sent a letter to the editor saying that her mother was not "abandoned". Cordeiro said that Lula not only paid for all of her mother's medical costs, but also legally recognized her as his daughter on the very day after her birth. She also noted the fact that none of Lula's children are mentioned in the film, questioning that "If the movie is about my father's path from impoverished immigrant to trade union leader, where do my brothers and I fit in?". She finished the letter by saying that she "loved the film" and that she agrees "with President Obama: Lula is the man!".
. The release date would represent a deliberate attempt to influence the outcome of the election, in order to help Lula's candidate. Rousseff admitted in an interview that the film could influence the outcome of the election. But she added that "there is no possible way to measure the effect of this". The DVD release date, scheduled for May 2010, has also been criticized, as the electoral debate would be warming up. On November 2009, it was revealed that Rede Globo
bought the exclusive television rights for the film, but decided to broadcast it only after the elections..
The biggest criticism, however, is that the film ignores less flattering aspects of Lula's career. According to O Globo
s Ricardo Noblat, the film represents an attempt to eliminate all of Lula' failures, making him look like the almost perfect protagonist, showing him in a overly romanticized and heroic role. This would also have electoral purposes, according to him. The film was also criticized by opposition politicians, the press and by many Brazilians because many of the companies that invested in the film - such as the heavy construction firms Odebrecht and Camargo Correa, as well as electric utilities - rely on government concessions and have major contracts with the federal government.
The New York Times Barrionuevo also said that the film may have an impact in the presidential election. He noted that while Lula can not run for re-election, "he hopes to transfer his popularity to his chief of staff
and chosen successor, Dilma Rousseff". "Political analysts sees the movie as part of the renovation of the myth of Lula, which could help him return to power in 2014", he added.
Glória Pires, which played Lula's mother in the film, said that Lula, the son of Brazil was a victim of political prejudice. According to her, "people saw another movie (...); the film I was in was based on a beautiful story of overcoming adversities, which was about a man that would become president, and not only a movie about the president itself". Main actor Rui Ricardo Dias said that "those in power today does not depend on this film for absolutely nothing. Nor is this production going to change anything in the course of the elections".
, president of the Brazilian Film Academy and representative for the commission, "we voted in the film that seemed more well done, which honors the Brazilian film industry
and has as an actress like Glória Pires, who becomes an excellent candidate for the Best Actress
award".
Director Daniel Filho
, whose film Chico Xavier
was also in the competition to represent Brazil at the Oscars, criticized the Ministry's choice, labelling it as political, and saying that the film's title should have been Lula, the owner of Brazil. Arnaldo Jabor, whose film A Suprema Felicidade was also in the competition for the submission, chose not to comment on the Ministry's choice, saying that the commission "must have had reasons" to chose the film.
According to producer Paula Barreto, the film may not be the best among the 23 competitors for the submission, but is the most adequate for the Academy Awards. She believes that the film was "analyzed by reputable people, who know the film industry and also how the Oscar dispute works". Farias responded the criticism for his commission's choice by saying that "our position has nothing to do with politics". The film didn't make the shortlist published in January 2011.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
based on the early life of former Brazilian president
President of Brazil
The president of Brazil is both the head of state and head of government of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian Armed Forces...
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as...
. Directed by Academy Award-nominated director Fábio Barreto
Fábio Barreto
Fábio Barreto is a Brazilian filmmaker, actor, screenwriter, and film producer. He is best known for directing and co-writing Lula, o filho do Brasil, a biography based on President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's early life, which had been the most expensive film in the history of Brazilian cinema...
, the film was released on January 1, 2010. Upon its release, Lula, the son of Brazil was the most expensive Brazilian film ever, with a budget of over 17 million reais
Brazilian real
The real is the present-day currency of Brazil. Its sign is R$ and its ISO code is BRL. It is subdivided into 100 centavos ....
, being later surpassed by Nosso Lar
Nosso Lar (film)
Nosso Lar is a 2010 Brazilian drama film directed by Wagner de Assis, based on the book of the same name by Francisco Cândido Xavier. It is distributed by 20th Century Fox and features a soundtrack composed by Philip Glass....
. On September 23, 2010, the film was unanimously chosen by a Ministry of Culture commission as Brazil's submission to the 83rd Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Plot
The film begins in October 1945 in GaranhunsGaranhuns
Garanhuns is a city in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. Located in the Borborema Plateau, the town is known as the "Suíça Pernambucana" due to its pleasant weather during summer and low temperatures during winter, something rather unusual for the region...
, a municipality in the countryside of Pernambuco
Pernambuco
Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...
, when Luiz Inácio da Silva, nicknamed Lula, is born as the seventh child of Dona Lindu and Aristides. Two weeks after his birth, Aristides moves to Santos, a coastal city in São Paulo
São Paulo (state)
São Paulo is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Named after Saint Paul, São Paulo has the largest population, industrial complex, and economic production in the country. It is the richest state in Brazil...
, with Dona Mocinha, a cousin of Dona Lindu. Lindu raises Lula's siblings alone until December 1952, when the family moves to Santos to meet the patriarch. Upon their arrival, Dona Lindu discovers that Aristides had formed a second family with Dona Mocinha.
Aristides' two families lives in the same house and, as time goes on, they struggle to survive. Lula and his siblings attend elementary school and work as street vendors. Later, Lindu leaves the alcoholic and abusive Aristides and moves with her children to São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
. Lula receives a degree as lathe operator and gets a formal job in the car industry, where he loses a finger in a press. This and his brother Ziza's arrest leads him into trade union activism, which made him nationally known in a period when such activities were forbidden. Lula is incarcerated for his activities, just as his mother dies.
Production
Based on the book of the same name by journalist Denise Paraná, the film narrates the story of Lula from his birth until his mother's death, when he was a 35-year-old union leader detained by the political police of the military dictatorship. The screenplay was written by Paraná, Fábio Barreto and Daniel Tendler. Writer Fernando Bonassi was hired to supervise it.João Miguel, better known for his role in Cinema, Aspirinas e Urubus, was initially cast as Lula, but declined due to scheduling problems. Tay Lopez was then cast, but declined due to medical reasons, since the role required him to gain and lose weight quickly and he suffers from hypertension
Hypertension
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a cardiac chronic medical condition in which the systemic arterial blood pressure is elevated. What that means is that the heart is having to work harder than it should to pump the blood around the body. Blood pressure involves two measurements, systolic and...
. Little known 30-year-old stage actor Rui Ricardo Dias
Rui Ricardo Dias
Rui Ricardo Dias is a Brazilian actor. He is best known for his performance as former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from ages 18 to 35 in Fábio Barreto's Lula, o filho do Brasil, reportedly one of the most expensive Brazilian films of all time.-Career:Dias was born in Santa Maria do Suaçuí,...
was then cast as Lula. Other cast members includes Glória Pires
Glória Pires
Glória Maria Cláudia Pires de Moraes, known simply as Glória Pires , is a Brazilian actress. She is best known for her roles in Rede Globo telenovelas such as Dancin' Days, Cabocla, Vale Tudo, Mulheres de Areia and O Rei do Gado...
as Lula's mother Dona Lindu, Cléo Pires
Cléo Pires
Cléo Pires Ayrosa Galvão, known simply as Cléo Pires , is a Brazilian actress. Daughter of actress Glória Pires and singer-songwriter Fábio Júnior, Cléo Pires is also half-sister of the actor and singer-songwriter Filipe Galvão. She first gained notoriety for her roles in the 2003 film Benjamim and...
as Lula's first wife Lourdes and Juliana Baroni
Juliana Baroni
Juliana Riva Baroni is a Brazilian actress, dancer and singer. She is best known for being a paquita for five years and for her leading role on the Rede Bandeirantes telenovela Dance, Dance, Dance.-Career:...
as Marisa Letícia Lula da Silva. Lucélia Santos
Lucélia Santos
Lucélia Santos is a Brazilian actress, director and producer. She received international acclaim for her leading role in the 1976 Rede Globo telenovela Escrava Isaura, broadcast in over 80 countries.-Biography:...
, a close friend of Lula, played a small role as his teacher. Milhem Cortaz
Milhem Cortaz
Milhem Cortaz is a Brazilian actor of film, stage and television.Cortaz' first role came on the 2000 film Mater Dei, written by Diogo Mainardi, where he portrayed a security guard. On 2002, he premiered on the television with a minor character on Rede Globo's unsuccessful telenovela Desejos de...
, known for playing a corrupt police officer in the Golden Bear
Golden Bear
According to legend, the Golden Bear was a large golden Ursus arctos. Members of the Ursus arctos species can reach masses of . The Grizzly Bear and the Kodiak Bear are North American subspecies of the Brown Bear....
-winning film Tropa de Elite
Tropa de Elite
The Elite Squad is a 2007 Brazilian film directed by José Padilha. The film is a semi-fictional account of the BOPE , the Special Police Operations Battalion of the Rio de Janeiro Military Police. It is the second feature film and first fiction film of Padilha, who had previously directed the...
, was cast as Lula's father Aristides.
The film was produced by Luiz Carlos Barreto and Paula Barreto, father and sister of the director, respectively. The budget of the film was relatively high for Brazilian cinema
Cinema of Brazil
Brazilian cinema was introduced early in the 20th century but took some time to consolidate itself as a popular form of entertainment. The film industry of Brazil has gone through periods of ups and downs, a reflection of its dependency on State funding and incentives.- Early days :A couple of...
standards: over 17 million reais (more than 9.5 million U.S. dollars). The Barretos, which supported Lula on both 2002
Brazilian general election, 2002
Lula's Worker's Party won the most seats in the Parliamentary elections, though failed to gain an outright majority as they won only 91 of the 513 seats.-Results:...
and 2006
Brazilian general election, 2006
The 2006 election were marked by the now extinct "verticalization rule", which forced parties to form coalitions on a state level with the same parties with which they were allied nationwide. This rule was introduced at the 2002 general elections by the Supreme Electoral Court.All Chamber of...
presidential elections, claimed to have obtained the budget without government funds in order to repel criticism from their work. According to Agência Estado
O Estado de S. Paulo
O Estado de S. Paulo is a daily newspaper published in the Metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil, and distributed mainly nationally. It is owned by Grupo Estado, a holding company which publishes the Jornal da Tarde and owns the radios Rádio Eldorado AM and FM and the Agência Estado, largest...
, however, the film was sponsored by several contractors, something extremely unusual for the Brazilian film market. Three of these companies maintain direct business with the federal government.
The shooting of the film began in late January 2009 in the Pernambuco
Pernambuco
Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...
municipality of Garanhuns
Garanhuns
Garanhuns is a city in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. Located in the Borborema Plateau, the town is known as the "Suíça Pernambucana" due to its pleasant weather during summer and low temperatures during winter, something rather unusual for the region...
, Lula's hometown. In February, the second phase of the production began in Santos and Guarujá
Guarujá
Guarujá is a municipality in the São Paulo state of Brazil. The population in 2006 was 305,171, the population density is 1,969.47/km² and the area is 143 km². This place name comes from the Tupi language, and mean "narrow path". The population is highly urbanized.-Geography:Guarujá is...
, cities on the coast of São Paulo
São Paulo (state)
São Paulo is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Named after Saint Paul, São Paulo has the largest population, industrial complex, and economic production in the country. It is the richest state in Brazil...
where Lula spent most of his childhood. The shooting was predicted to end on March 21, 2009. The film was then edited in time to premiere in some film festivals prior to its wide release in Brazilian cinemas on January 1, 2010.
Cast
Main cast:- Rui Ricardo DiasRui Ricardo DiasRui Ricardo Dias is a Brazilian actor. He is best known for his performance as former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from ages 18 to 35 in Fábio Barreto's Lula, o filho do Brasil, reportedly one of the most expensive Brazilian films of all time.-Career:Dias was born in Santa Maria do Suaçuí,...
as Luiz Inácio Lula da SilvaLuiz Inácio Lula da SilvaLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as... - Glória PiresGlória PiresGlória Maria Cláudia Pires de Moraes, known simply as Glória Pires , is a Brazilian actress. She is best known for her roles in Rede Globo telenovelas such as Dancin' Days, Cabocla, Vale Tudo, Mulheres de Areia and O Rei do Gado...
as Dona Lindu - Juliana BaroniJuliana BaroniJuliana Riva Baroni is a Brazilian actress, dancer and singer. She is best known for being a paquita for five years and for her leading role on the Rede Bandeirantes telenovela Dance, Dance, Dance.-Career:...
as Marisa Letícia - Cléo PiresCléo PiresCléo Pires Ayrosa Galvão, known simply as Cléo Pires , is a Brazilian actress. Daughter of actress Glória Pires and singer-songwriter Fábio Júnior, Cléo Pires is also half-sister of the actor and singer-songwriter Filipe Galvão. She first gained notoriety for her roles in the 2003 film Benjamim and...
as Lourdes da Silva - Milhem CortazMilhem CortazMilhem Cortaz is a Brazilian actor of film, stage and television.Cortaz' first role came on the 2000 film Mater Dei, written by Diogo Mainardi, where he portrayed a security guard. On 2002, he premiered on the television with a minor character on Rede Globo's unsuccessful telenovela Desejos de...
as Aristides - Sóstenes Vidal as Ziza
Supporting cast:
- Guilherme Tortólio as adolescent Lula
- Felipe Falanga as young Lula
- Rayana Cavalho as Dona Mocinha
- Lucélia SantosLucélia SantosLucélia Santos is a Brazilian actress, director and producer. She received international acclaim for her leading role in the 1976 Rede Globo telenovela Escrava Isaura, broadcast in over 80 countries.-Biography:...
as Lula's teacher - Antonio Pitanga as Mr. Cristóvão
- Celso Frateschi as Mr. Alvaro
- Marcos Cesana as Cláudio Feitosa
- Clayton Mariano as Lambari
- Mariah Teixeira as Marinete
- Suzana Costa as midwife
- Jones Melo as salesman
- José Ramos as pau de araraPau de AraraPau de arara is a Portuguese term that literally translates to "parrot's perch". The term originates from the habit of tying birds to a pole for sale, where they also hang for transportation...
driver - Antonio Saboia as Vavá
- Eduardo Acaiabe as Geraldão
- Marat Descartes as Arnaldo
- Nei Piacentini as Dr. Miguel
- Luccas Papp as Lambari (age 15)
- Vanessa Bizarro as Lourdes (age 13)
- Maicon Gouveia as Jaime
- Jonas Mello as Tosinho
- Fernando Alves Pinto as journalist
- Fernanda Laranjeira as Tiana
Historical background
Some facts of Lula's early life coincides with several interesting aspects of the Brazilian historyHistory of Brazil
The history of Brazil begins with the arrival of the first indigenous peoples, thousands of years ago by crossing the Bering land bridge into Alaska and then moving south....
, and this is a reason why Paraná decided to write her book, which was also her Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
dissertation at the University of São Paulo
University of São Paulo
Universidade de São Paulo is a public university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is the largest Brazilian university and one of the country's most prestigious...
History School. During her research for the book, Paraná interviewed Lula himself and several people connected to him. According to her, while listening to Lula's statements, she thought that it was "a poorly written movie script, because everything fits".
Among the facts of Lula's life and the history of Brazil that "fits" together, according to the author, are the death of his first wife by malpractice during labour
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
at the same time that Brazil had one of the highest rates in the world of death in childbirth
Maternal death
Maternal death, or maternal mortality, also "obstetrical death" is the death of a woman during or shortly after a pregnancy. In 2010, researchers from the University of Washington and the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, estimated global maternal mortality in 2008 at 342,900 , of...
, the migration
Human migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
of his family to São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
at the same time which Brazil was struggling with its largest internal migration wave and Lula's father developing alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
at the same time there was an epidemic incidence of this disease in the Northeast
Northeast Region, Brazil
The Northeast Region of Brazil is composed of the following states: Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia, and it represents 18.26% of the Brazilian territory....
region of Brazil.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by Antonio PintoAntonio Pinto (composer)
Antonio Pinto is a Brazilian film score composer. He is the son of the famous cartoonist Ziraldo and the brother of film-maker Daniela Thomas. His work earned him a World Soundtrack Award and an ASCAP award, as well as a nomination in the Best Original Song category at the 65th Golden Globe Awards...
. The musical taste of Lula was faithfully followed in the preparation of the soundtrack. He requested the sertanejo
Música sertaneja
Música sertaneja or Sertanejo is a music style that had its origins in the countryside of Brazil in the 1920s .Sertanejo is currently the most popular music style in Brazil, arguably more popular than samba in most Brazilian states , even though samba is still quite popular in Rio de Janeiro...
duo Zezé Di Camargo & Luciano
Zezé Di Camargo & Luciano
Zezé Di Camargo & Luciano are Brazil's most famous sertanejo/country duo and brothers. They were born in Pirenópolis, Goiás. Zezé is the artistic name for Mirosmar José de Camargo and Luciano the artistic name for Welson David de Camargo....
to record "Meu Primeiro Amor", a version of "Lejanía" by Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
an composer Herminio Giménez
Herminio Giménez
-Life:At the early age of 11 he was already part of the Paraguarí music band and two years later he was hired to be part of the Asunción marching band. While at the marching band he made his first successful song, a polca named Jasy Morotí, in 1918. He was the first person to record Paraguayan...
adapted into Portuguese by José Fortuna. The former president also requested the inclusion of two remarkable songs in his life and emotional memories: "Nossa Canção", a romantic samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
by Luiz Ayrão, recorded by Nana Caymmi
Nana Caymmi
Nana Caymmi is a Brazilian singer.Caymmi was born in Rio de Janeiro, the daughter of Dorival Caymmi and Stella Maris. Her first appearance on record was on her father's album Acalanto. She married Venezuelan doctor Gilberto Aponte Paoli and moved there in 1959. She and her husband divorced in...
especially for the soundtrack, and "Desesperar Jamais" by Ivan Lins
Ivan Lins
Ivan Guimarães Lins is a Latin Grammy winning Brazilian musician. He has been an active performer and songwriter of Brazilian popular music and jazz for over 30 years. His first hit, Madalena, was recorded by Elis Regina in 1970. Beyond his own performance of his compositions, Simone is his most...
and Vitor Martins, recorded by Ivan and samba player Roberto Ribeiro. The soundtrack is complemented with songs contemporary to the years represented in the film, such as "Sentimental Demais" by Altemar Dutra, "Estúpido Cupido
Stupid Cupid
"Stupid Cupid" is a song written by Howard Greenfield and Neil Sedaka which became a hit for Connie Francis in 1958.In the spring of 1958 Francis had hit #4 with her breakout hit, a rock ballad version of the standard "Who's Sorry Now?"...
" by Celly Campelo, "Saudosa Maloca" by Demônios da Garoa
Demônios da Garoa
Demonios da Garoa are a São Paulo-based Brazilian samba group. Having existed for over sixty years, they are one of the most famous practitioners of samba paulista, a notable regional style distinct to São Paulo...
, and even "Pra Frente Brasil", an anthem for the Brazilian national football team during the 1970 FIFA World Cup
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
. The film's soundtrack album was released a month before the film, marking the first time this has ever happened in Brazil.
Release
The film premiered at the opening of the 42nd Brasília Film Festival, in the Brazilian federal capitalBrasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
on November 18, 2009, although it was not chosen for the festival's competitive selection. At least 300 people from the Palácio do Planalto
Palácio do Planalto
The Palácio do Planalto is the official workplace of the President of Brazil. It is located at the Praça dos Três Poderes in Brasília, Brazil. As the seat of government, the term Planalto is often used as a metonym for the executive branch of the government.The main working office of the President...
attended. In Lula's homestate of Pernambuco, the film premiered in Recife
Recife
Recife is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Brazil with 4,136,506 inhabitants, the largest metropolitan area of the North/Northeast Regions, the 5th-largest metropolitan influence area in Brazil, and the capital and largest city of the state of Pernambuco. The population of the city proper...
on November 19, being attended by several politicians and the president's relatives. On November 28, Lula himself attended the film's premiere in São Bernardo do Campo
São Bernardo do Campo
São Bernardo do Campo is a municipality in the state of São Paulo, in southern Metropolitan São Paulo and São Paulo microregion. The municipality's total area is 408.45 km ² and a population estimated at 1 July 2009, according to the IBGE, was 810,979 inhabitants, which results in a population...
, the city where he began his political activity. The film also premiered in João Pessoa
João Pessoa
João Pessoa , is the capital city of the state of Paraíba, was founded in 1585 and sometimes called the city where the sun rises first, is a Brazilian city and the easternmost city in the Americas at 34º47'38"W, 7º9'28"S. Local residents call its easternmost point Ponta do Seixas. It is also...
and Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
later in 2009. According to Regina Rito's gossip column on newspaper O Dia
O Dia
O Dia is a major daily newspaper from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Its sales are slightly higher than its main rival, O Globo....
, the film's international premiere was held in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
at the request of American president Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. On January 1, 2010 the film received its wide release, debuting at over 500 cinemas all over Brazil.
Unionized workers were able to purchase the film's tickets for 5 reais (about 2,5 U.S. dollars) between November 20 and December 31, 2009 after a deal made between labour unions Central Única dos Trabalhadores
Central Única dos Trabalhadores
-See also:*Confederação Geral dos Trabalhadores*Força Sindical-External links:...
and Força Sindical
Força Sindical
The Força Sindical is a trade union centre in Brazil. It was formed in 1991 by Luis Antônio Medeiros, a leader from the Confederação Geral dos Trabalhadores.The FS is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation.-External links:...
and the producers. Since its wide release on January 1, 2010, unionized workers were able to buy tickets with a 50% discount.
The film's DVD release happened on May 2009. It has affordable prices, from 10 to 12 reais (around 5 to 7 U.S. dollars), in order to counteract piracy
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
. The DVD has more than 10 extra features, including an exclusive interview with Lula about the film. Upon the DVD release, Tadeu Damiani, president of the Union of Video Rentals of the State of São Paulo and member of opposition party PPS
Socialist People's Party (Brazil)
The Socialist People's Party is a political party in Brazil.It was founded in 1992, after the Brazilian Communist Party decided to rename itself the Socialist People's Party as part of a political realignment following the collapse of the Soviet Union.The PPS was a part of the coalition government...
, had sent an open letter to 2,800 video rental
Rental shop
A rental shop, also known as a video library, is a business that allows a consumer to temporarily obtain a reusable good or product for a specified period of time in exchange for payment, a process known as renting...
stores in the state recommending that they should not buy or rent the film. He spread his plea throughout video rental associations and trade unions in the country. The reason he gave for starting the campaign was the fact that Lula had watched 2 Filhos de Francisco
2 Filhos de Francisco
2 Filhos de Francisco - A História de Zezé di Camargo e Luciano is a 2005 Brazilian drama film about the lives of the musicians Zezé Di Camargo & Luciano....
before being lunched, encouraging piracy. But, there is no evidence that proves that President Lula had watched by illegal means.
On September 23, 2010, Lula, the son of Brazil premiered in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. It was screened on 20 cinemas in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
and Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...
. The release in Argentina had been delayed for four months in order to enjoy the atmosphere of the presidential election in Brazil
Brazilian presidential election, 2010
The Brazilian presidential election was held in 2010 with two rounds of balloting. The first round was held on October 3 along with other elections as part of the 2010 general election...
. Initially, the producers had planned to release the film simultaneously in all South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n countries, but logistical issues and the reduced time prevented the plan from taking place. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the premiere is scheduled for February or March 2011. The distribution will be done by New Yorker Films
New Yorker Films
New Yorker Films is an independent film distribution company founded by Daniel Talbot in 1965. It started as an extension of his Manhattan movie house, the New Yorker Theater, after he discovered he was unable to obtain certain foreign titles for exhibition....
, which had dropped the film after the Brazil–Turkey–Iran agreement in fear of a boycott led by the Jewish
American Jews
American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
community. The film's ending clip has been modified for foreign audiences. According to producer Luiz Carlos Barreto, the international distributors wanted to highlight Lula's consecration as a global leader. "Instead of pictures in the Northeast
Northeast Region, Brazil
The Northeast Region of Brazil is composed of the following states: Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia, and it represents 18.26% of the Brazilian territory....
, with his family, they want pictures with Obama and the Queen of England. We had this available, but avoided putting it in the original version in order not to get very jingoistic
Jingoism
Jingoism is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as extreme patriotism in the form of aggressive foreign policy. In practice, it is a country's advocation of the use of threats or actual force against other countries in order to safeguard what it perceives as its national interests...
", he said.
The film has two scheduled dates for television premiere. It shall be featured on Canal Brasil's programming in February if the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
announces that the film will compete for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
. Otherwise, it will be aired in March, in accordance with the rules of the Academy.
Public
Lula, The Son of Brasil was a flop. It grossed only two million reais (around one million U.S. dollars) in its first week of release, being watched by no more than 200,000 people. In spite of the controversy surrounding the film, it was still the second in the box office that week, behind Avatar. As of January 8, the film had been watched by almost 320,000 people. At the end of its theatrical run, the film had sold 852,212 tickets, making it only the 7th highest-grossing national production of 2010 in Brazil.After watching the film in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, British Indian actor Ben Kingsley
Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley, CBE is a British actor. He has won an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in his career. He is known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...
said that "this film is important for the whole world", adding that "[Lula's] history is bigger than Gandhi's". Kingsley won the Academy Award for Best Actor
Academy Award for Best Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
in 1982 for his performance as Mahatma Gandhi in the eponymous film
Gandhi (film)
Gandhi is a 1982 biographical film based on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who led the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th century. The film was directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Ben Kingsley as Gandhi. They both...
.
Critical
Alexei Barrionuevo, correspondent for The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
in Brazil, criticized the film for "failing to mention that Lula abandoned his girlfriend, Miriam Cordeiro, when she was six months pregnant". Lurian Cordeiro, Lula's daughter with Miriam, sent a letter to the editor saying that her mother was not "abandoned". Cordeiro said that Lula not only paid for all of her mother's medical costs, but also legally recognized her as his daughter on the very day after her birth. She also noted the fact that none of Lula's children are mentioned in the film, questioning that "If the movie is about my father's path from impoverished immigrant to trade union leader, where do my brothers and I fit in?". She finished the letter by saying that she "loved the film" and that she agrees "with President Obama: Lula is the man!".
Political criticism
The film has been criticized by the Brazilian press for being released in an electoral year, while Lula was trying to elect his successor Dilma RousseffDilma Rousseff
Dilma Vana Rousseff is the 36th and current President of Brazil. She is the first woman to hold the office. Prior to that, in 2005, she was also the first woman to become Chief of Staff of Brazil, appointed by then President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva....
. The release date would represent a deliberate attempt to influence the outcome of the election, in order to help Lula's candidate. Rousseff admitted in an interview that the film could influence the outcome of the election. But she added that "there is no possible way to measure the effect of this". The DVD release date, scheduled for May 2010, has also been criticized, as the electoral debate would be warming up. On November 2009, it was revealed that Rede Globo
Rede Globo
Rede Globo , or simply Globo, is a Brazilian television network, launched by media mogul Roberto Marinho on April 26, 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Organizações Globo, being by far the largest of its holdings...
bought the exclusive television rights for the film, but decided to broadcast it only after the elections..
The biggest criticism, however, is that the film ignores less flattering aspects of Lula's career. According to O Globo
O Globo
O Globo is a Brazilian newspaper based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. O Globo is the most prominent print publication in the Marinho family's Brazilian media conglomerate....
s Ricardo Noblat, the film represents an attempt to eliminate all of Lula' failures, making him look like the almost perfect protagonist, showing him in a overly romanticized and heroic role. This would also have electoral purposes, according to him. The film was also criticized by opposition politicians, the press and by many Brazilians because many of the companies that invested in the film - such as the heavy construction firms Odebrecht and Camargo Correa, as well as electric utilities - rely on government concessions and have major contracts with the federal government.
The New York Times Barrionuevo also said that the film may have an impact in the presidential election. He noted that while Lula can not run for re-election, "he hopes to transfer his popularity to his chief of staff
Chief of Staff of Brazil
The Chief of Staff of the Presidency of the Republic is the highest-ranking member of the Executive Office of Brazil, and a senior aide to the President.In Brazil, the Chief of Staff is a member of the president's cabinet, with the rank of Minister....
and chosen successor, Dilma Rousseff". "Political analysts sees the movie as part of the renovation of the myth of Lula, which could help him return to power in 2014", he added.
Glória Pires, which played Lula's mother in the film, said that Lula, the son of Brazil was a victim of political prejudice. According to her, "people saw another movie (...); the film I was in was based on a beautiful story of overcoming adversities, which was about a man that would become president, and not only a movie about the president itself". Main actor Rui Ricardo Dias said that "those in power today does not depend on this film for absolutely nothing. Nor is this production going to change anything in the course of the elections".
Academy Award submission
On September 23, 2010, Lula, the son of Brazil was unanimously chosen by a Ministry of Culture commission as Brazil's submission to the 83rd Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The commission was formed by nine people, among members of the Ministry, the Brazilian Film Academy, the Audiovisual Secretariat, and the National Agency for Cinema. According to Roberto FariasRoberto Farias
Roberto Farias is a Brazilian film director, producer and screenwriter. He has directed 15 films since 1957. His 1982 film Pra Frente, Brasil was entered into the 33rd Berlin International Film Festival.-Selected filmography:...
, president of the Brazilian Film Academy and representative for the commission, "we voted in the film that seemed more well done, which honors the Brazilian film industry
Cinema of Brazil
Brazilian cinema was introduced early in the 20th century but took some time to consolidate itself as a popular form of entertainment. The film industry of Brazil has gone through periods of ups and downs, a reflection of its dependency on State funding and incentives.- Early days :A couple of...
and has as an actress like Glória Pires, who becomes an excellent candidate for the Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
award".
Director Daniel Filho
Daniel Filho
Daniel Filho is a Brazilian film producer, director and actor and screenwriter. He starred in the film Os Cafajestes, which was entered into the 12th Berlin International Film Festival.-Selected filmography:Actor...
, whose film Chico Xavier
Chico Xavier (film)
Chico Xavier is a 2010 Brazilian drama film directed by Daniel Filho, written by Marcos Bernstein, and starring Nelson Xavier, Christiane Torloni, Giulia Gam, Letícia Sabatella, Giovanna Antonelli and Tony Ramos. It was released in Brazil on April 2, 2010. The movie is a biography of the Brazilian...
was also in the competition to represent Brazil at the Oscars, criticized the Ministry's choice, labelling it as political, and saying that the film's title should have been Lula, the owner of Brazil. Arnaldo Jabor, whose film A Suprema Felicidade was also in the competition for the submission, chose not to comment on the Ministry's choice, saying that the commission "must have had reasons" to chose the film.
According to producer Paula Barreto, the film may not be the best among the 23 competitors for the submission, but is the most adequate for the Academy Awards. She believes that the film was "analyzed by reputable people, who know the film industry and also how the Oscar dispute works". Farias responded the criticism for his commission's choice by saying that "our position has nothing to do with politics". The film didn't make the shortlist published in January 2011.