Brazil has arguably had a rough go of it with the Oscars. Though they've been nominated four times they have yet to win, and at least a couple of their "misses" are pretty major. Lately they've also been beset by political problems at home which has extended into their arts. Note the shunning of the intimidatingly great Aquarius (2016) in its year due to the righteous politics of both the film and its creative team.
But perhaps this year's awards season will hold a happy ending to Brazil's 21 year Oscar drought? Their candidate this year is the Un Certain Regard winner at Cannes, The Invisible Life of Euricie Gusmao (based on the novel of the same name, pictured left) a 1950s period melodrama about two sisters. The film is directed by Karim Aïnouz (previously best known for Madame Sata and Futuro Beach) and co-stars the legendary Fernanda Montenegro (Central Station) who has some Oscar history herself...
Brazil's four nominations to date
- Keeper of Promises (1962)
This drama about a man keeping a promise to carry a cross 29 miles and donating his land to the poor is the only Brazilian winner ever of the Palme D'Or at Cannes. It also holds the distinction of being the very first South American movie nominated in the Best Foreign Film category. It's sometimes referred to as "The Given Word". - O Quatriloh (1995)
An turn of the century drama about two immigrant couples from Italy - Four Days in September (1997)
A fictionalized take on a true story about a kidnapping of a US ambassador in 1969. Alan Arkin played the kidnapped American. - Central Station (1998)
The last time Brazil was up for the Best Foreign Language Film prize they had considerable momentum (3 nominations in four calendar years time), a big crossover foreign hit (it more money than some of the English language Oscar nominees that year like Hilary & Jackie, Velvet Goldmine, and Little Voice) and they even swung a Best Actress nomination for the estimable Fernanda Montenegro. In any year that didn't have a foreign film smash the size of Life is Beautiful, they surely would have won. They still should have, don'cha know, but sometimes the timing is just working against you.
Three of Brazil's most notable (unnominated) submissions.
- Pixote (1980)... five years before Hector Babenco made a real Oscar splash with the English language Kiss of the Spider Woman, he made this classic about street kids which amassed many filmmaker and cinephile fans. Sadly it was disqualified for an absurd reason (test screenings before the eligibility dates in Brazil or some such)
- City of God (2002)... though it wasn't nominated in its submission year it surprised everyone (including all pundits) by receiving an incredible 4 nominations (including Best Director) the following Oscar season nearly an entire year after its US release (it was one of those films that tried scheduling itself in February, assuming it could piggyback on a foreign film nomination for box office interest, but the nomination didn't come.) The movie had the last laugh, though.
- The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (2007) ... it made the finalist list but didn't end up with a nomination.
Do you have a favourite Brazilian film? Do you like the work of Karim Anouz?
RELATED: SEE THE SUBMISSION OSCAR CHARTS