Brazil's Cinematic History Aflame
Friday, July 30, 2021 at 7:00PM It wasn't even a month ago when Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho made a plea at the Cannes Film Festival for people all around the world to discuss what was happening to the Cinemateca Brasileira (or Brazilian Cinematheque, if you will). As the Bacurau helmer mentioned the 500,000 lives that our country lost due to COVID-19 and how the Jair Bolsonaro administration (if you can even call them an administration) is truly responsible for those deaths, it was inevitable that that neglect would extend to other parts of the society. Which brought him to talk about the Cinemateca. In fascist governments, culture and knowledge are threats, and yesterday, the whole world saw just another chapter of this horror fest as some of our most precious memories caught on fire.
For the past year, the Brazilian Cinematheque, in São Paulo, has been closed. The archives that held more than 240,000 film reels were left to their own luck, as all the workers who took care of that historic treasure were fired...
The abandonment caught the ear of Martin Scorsese. Last November, the director and champion of film preservation wrote that was made public by fellow filmmaker Walter Salles, voicing his worry on the potential losses we could suffer. They are not potential anymore, as, according to Brazilian news outlet G1, the blazes have destroyed films by important directors like Glauber Rocha, some of the earliest Brazilian television programs, archives from institutions like Embrafilme and Concine, documentaries, commercials, student films and film equipment.
This past April, the workers of the Cinemateca published a manifesto, remembering the other four fires the institution had suffered. "The possibility of cellulose nitrate films self combusting and the consequent risk of fire often receives a lot of attention from the public and the media (....). The risk of a new fire is real (...). This collection requires stable temperature and humidity, and, in the absence of such conditions, it suffers a drastic acceleration of its deterioration process", they wrote.
The National Museum of Brazil in 2018
What happened this past Thursday was no accident. Everybody knew the danger that would come with the lack of maintenance of the material kept at that shed. The manifest written by the workers reinforces that, while also remembering the lack of a specialized janitorial staff, security team and firemen. This has happened recently in other places, too. In 2018, the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro was the victim of a similar fate; Fossils, art pieces and thousands of documents are gone.
Unfortunately, we're living at a time where culture and memory are considered to be - as the Bolsonaro followers like to say - a "waste of money". There is no Ministry of Culture anymore. It has been reduced to a smaller structure, led by Mario Frias, a former actor that prides himself on carrying a gun around and with an artistic body of work and knowledge so mediocre that he can show up to the Venice Biennale and say he never heard of Lina Bo Bardi, the legendary Brazilian architect that was receiving a tribute. Artists like Fernanda Montenegro (the center of a brilliant piece written by Claudio earlier this week) and Sonia Braga (a recent nominee here for Best Actress) are insulted daily. Our future is scary and, now, our past is non existent.
There’s no restoring what’s been lost. We’re watching the destruction of a country’s film archives because of bureaucratic neglect and cruelty. This has been happening to cultural institutions across Brazil, per @Ela_Bittencourt’s reporting https://t.co/XDRifsb1ay h/t @bealoayza https://t.co/yDg2tUX1lB
— Monica Castillo (@mcastimovies) July 29, 2021
Reader Comments (33)
Why Mendonça and his friends does'n't demand the previous governments that scrapped the Cinemateca?
Even Mendonça is affiliated with the party of governments that ended the country's culture and education, transforming it into an ideological tool.
The fire was not due to carelessness but criminals, as they did to a statue last week, probably from the same group.
So before criticizing the Federal Government, how about getting informed first with the current Secretary of Culture, who is doing a clean job, including cutting expenses that these leftist artists have always supported.
Liar and biased material, typical of an uninformed progressive who spreads fake news to destabilize a government that for the first time has no case of corruption.
Go for them, Alessandro! Hopefully, your words will not be deleted, it is a possibility here since you are not following dogmatic narratives that one is not allowed to challenge. Scary propaganda times are back in full force. Coming next, social credit to access the internet, soon to be enforced in Australia.
Great piece, Camila. That's exactly what's happening in Brazil and the government is to blame. People should ignore comments like Alessandro's because he's clearly a Bolsonaro supporter and just wants to spread lies, that's all they have.
Here in Brazil, people like Alessandro are called “gado do Bolsonaro” (Bolsonaro’s cow). For them, It’s ok to spend millions buying corrupt politicians or to lobby to destroy the enviroment, but investing in Art and Culture is unforgivable. Yes, it’s sad. And, honestly, I’m surprised that someone like him is here spreanding lies like his f****** president.
This is horrendous. An entire country's cinematic history... gone. Fuck that piece of shit government and fuck those who burned these films that we will never get to see ever. It makes me sad we'll never know what they've contributed and the stories they've created. Fuck those who spread lies and propaganda and I hope something could be done for those films that still remain.
You’re being a little dramatic, Margo Channing.
Tragic.
This is heartbreaking. Classic fascist playbook.
Alessandro, what the fuck are you doing on this website? This is a pro-democracy, pro cinema, pro LIFE community, go back to your fascist closet.
What a tragedy! What a loss! I’m very very very sorry. Cinema’s patrimony is part of your Culture and it’s quite sad to realize how poorly that is considered. I wish better time will come for Brazil but the damage is still mighty
But it is not only Brazil. In Hungary, Poland, Spain, France, UK, everywhere, the extreme right is growing unstoppbably. Media fuels their hate speech because it raises audiences, people glued to TV and YouTube. Facebook seems to only have hard actions when anyone criticizes the hate speech. In Spain, now, if you call a extreme right member, "fascist", is you that could be sued for hate speech, no kidding. Despite our fake "progressive" government... I really had to switch off the TV, as every single TV channel is fuelling the Extreme Right show all day long.
Amazing article. What is happening in Brazil, with it's fascist government destroying nature, art and culture (our future legacy) is absurd. But is a tragedy everybody could foresee, as this was exactly Bolsonaro's proposals in his campaign. Heartbreaking.
@ Susanita, what a lovely name, but it is not my fault y’all so gullible, still believing you’re living in a democratic system in which your basic rights are supported. It is not only that the system is rigged but that the rig is the system. Oh, look over there the evil extreme right is lurking everywhere and coming for you, do not look over here where the illusion of democracy is bringing you to total submission & state control Chinese style.
Jesus - hm. I see quite the opposite. But I guess we see what we want to. I see the extreme left / liberal movement growing to the point of censorship and cancel culture if you aren’t saying what’s deemed “acceptable,” which is not democracy or free speech. It’s a bit too Black Mirror for my liking. But until people wake up and see that politics are designed to divide us and make us hate / blame one another, they will continue to see it all as “the other side’s fault.” No, hunny. We are all humans and no party, progressive or conservative is designed to help us. The left has especially tricked everyone into believing they’re “for the people” even tho they’re also rich ass shady politicians like the rest of them. It’s hysterically obvious to me.
Margo - amen.
amazing article, Camila! what happened is a tragedy to the brazilian movie culture #FORABOLSONARO
Such a tragedy. Our country deserves so much better.
Susanita, I came to a comment section late the other day to find comments alluding to and responding to a Margo comment that had been deleted. So it is happening, whether it was deserved I'll never know. Added to some poor commenter just posting an opinion to be chewed out and humiliated by an irate Claudio means that I'm likely to listen to Margo's side on this. Surprised that left Alessandro's comment up!
Fodam-se os bolsominion filhos da puta que estão comentando aqui. Gentinha sdn caráter, fascistas desgraçados.
@Jesus Alonso
You're fucking kidding, right? The 'extreme right', or the Lefts new boogyman as I like to call it, have zero institutional power in the majority of Western countries and if you're mad that hate speech laws are being abused, that's the ridiculous nature of 'hate speech laws' in the first place. You're mad that your country has 'fake progressives' because? What? You hear things you don't like?! Please remember to contact your local policía to report wrong-think, Comrade. Lumping everyone you disagree with as 'extreme right' is such an old tactic but obviously it's very effective. Also, being careful about immigration and advocating pro-life stances are not hallmarks of the 'extreme right', which is I'm assuming why you mentioned Hungary and Poland. Did it ever occur to anyone that Hungary's anti-gay stances could have also been a reaction to the absolute mockery that the LGBTQI+ (blah blah blah) 'community' has made of gay liberation over the last ten years? And I'm saying this as a gay man.
Eastern European countries tend to be *shocker* more conservative. Over half of Hungarians accept homosexuality so all is not lost though from a standpoint of policy I'm convinced that pushing insane gender ideology is what caused the backlash.
Have any of you not realized that it's the Left in most countries who pose the real danger? I'm serious here.
What's happening in Brazil is disgusting but as Isabel pointed out, this was a tragedy everyone could forsee, Yet the American Left have been screaming 'fascist' and ''Nazi' at anyone they don't like for so long that the words have lost all meaning. They've totally bastardized words like 'accountability' and 'racism' as well, as if this isn't by design either. Rationality, reason and logic have been replaced by emotional grandstanding and victimhood. This has now imperialized itself worldwide because it's fantastic at destabilizing and demoralizing people.
Other English speaking countries around the globe like Britain and Australia have adopted this disgustingly over censorious view of crushing dissent. Most of the actual abuse of power are coming from the left leaning governments now. It's the boy who cried wolf at this stage thanks to useful idiots screaming 'fascist' or 'defund the police' or telling lies about Antifa and BLM and falling for and spreading propaganda. When you've been dealing with that for a few years, plus institutional feminism destroying men and women, Critical Race Theory poisoning society, one becomes accustomed to disillusionment.
Now that actual Fascism/ Communism has taken over (or very likely about to depending on the nation) vis a vis world leaders abusing the Covid crisis, this pearl clutching bleeding heart bullshit is infuriating.
In France,Emanuel Macron is now calling for prison sentences for people who can't prove that they've been vaccinated;
In New Zealand Jacinda Ardern who is also an actual fascistic leader and yet is protected from deserved criticism by leftist media (ie. most media) because she's a woman. Never forget her disgusting comments that the people of her country should be getting their information from their government only. Would you like to know who else advocates for omnipotent governmental control? Fascists.
Evil Joe Biden who is literally losing his mind has been enabling and abetting the usurpation of communists/Communists in his nation but oh thank God that there are no more mean tweets!
Justin Trudeau is a socialist sociopath who has also sold Canada out to China.
Micheal Martin, who was in charge of the longest lockdown in Europe at six whole months and now you can't go anywhere without being vaccinated. What the fuck happened to my body my choice?
Boris Johnson can't make up his mind about anything.
Angela Merkel has ruined Germany (though hopefully not beyond repair) and her 'open door policy' was a a disaster for Europe.
I am sick to death of hearing from people like you about the 'extreme right' who hold, once again, zero institutional power in most countries. Fuck off with your fear mongering bullshit and wake up. It's people like you who cause so much damage by being so fucking stupid.
I am furious over this egregious display of abuse coming from the Jair Bolsonaro administration but at the same time, Americans have been equivalating every non-far left political criticism as 'fascist' that the irony is just too pure to ignore. You would be the same people who cried and called Trump 'literally Hitler' yet the Biden/Harris regime is causing more destruction to America in six months and the fact that people can't see this is disgraceful. Some of you have been so brainwashed it's sick.
This article was great but it would be nice if you could all engage in a bit of self reflection. This is here in America. In Australia. In Europe. In New Zealand. Its going to get worse and it won't be the fault of the 'extreme right'. When actual Fascism and Communism come to your country, are you even going to notice?
Also, everyone needs to read The Gulag Archipelago. It truly puts things into perspective.
This is more than likely going to be my last comment on this site. So everyone relax. I just seriously needed to write this down.
@Paul MacLachlan... I am well connected with Hungary and Poland. I live in Spain. A couple of weeks ago, a bunch of people killed a 25 years old homosexual in A Coruña, while insulting him in homophobic rants. Most media and even the police itself put in doubt it was an homophobic attack. The increase of homophobic attacks and the open hate speech is increasing, even in our parlament. Over 100 (almost 1/3) of the Spanish Parlament is occupied by either extreme right parties or those who make deals with them and sideline with them, and polls - thanks to the whitewashing of mainstream media - only help the sensation they will be soon in power.
I don't know where are you writting from, but I am well connected internationally and this is no a "scare". It's a fact, and the crises that is already starting has too many parallels with the 1929 world crises that helped fascism to spread worldwide.
The extreme right is not the left boogeyman. It is a real, real threat.
I can't believe there is a neonazi "bolsominion" posting comments on this website.
From what I see in this thread, there are MULTIPLE fascist "bolsominions" posting on this site.
whunk -- yeah, i don't know why they'd be here. trolls everywhere. Anyone who sees the left and right as "both sides" and equally bad i have no time for. Yes, the left has some problems. But it is not actually evil.. by and large left-leaning people want the world to be a better place it's just sometimes leftists get a bit toxic about how to accomplish that. Not so with rightwingers who all support actual fascists and plutocrats who destroy the fabric of their country to enrich themselves and preach hate and division on the regular
Nathaniel - the pedestal you've put yourself on stops you from seeing that your political affiliation does the same exact things. Even what you've just said in that comment preaches division... the same way that you say not all left-leaning people are toxic is the same with people who lean right. Yet, you say all right wingers support fascists and plutocrats etc etc... which simply isn't the truth and only adds to the division. That's actually really hypocritical. ;/
Is that what wanting the world to be a better place looks like? Hm, smells fishy to me. You're only hurting yourself by putting other humans beneath you based on a label. Unless they've explicitly told you they believe shitty things, you are helping no one by lumping people together and labeling them like that. Hope you grow to be more forward thinking, my friend. <3
I hope people start to realize that victimhood is 100% tied in with ego. That helped me so much on my journey. Go inward, nurture your mental and physical health, and you will grow out of the victim mentality where you always see the problem as others and not yourself. It's corny, but it truly does start with the human in the mirror.
Humans are humans are humans. Whether you agree or disagree with someone or not, we will never reach a brighter future if you continue to adopt a divisive mindset, separating yourself from people who are rightfully on this earth just as much as you are.
Mature adults don't say "I have no time for people who have a differing opinion" -- that's divisive rhetoric right there. And that's all I see in politics period, but especially from the left these days.
It's not about tolerating terrible rhetoric, but instead of assuming the worst in others, how about we go back to giving people the benefit of the doubt until they prove otherwise?
Love your site for the film stuff but your inability to hear other perspectives is really cringe-inducing. I'd expect someone as old and "cultured" as you are to have a more expansive mind. Kinda tone deaf tho... but I was there once too. Sending you healing energy! Only sad people judge others and separate themselves from others that way.
"Not so with rightwingers who all support actual fascists" -- like I'm baffled someone who isn't a teenager actually said this... some people just lean more right when it comes to political issues lol. A lot of republicans denounced Trump bc he didn't represent them at all.
"who destroy the fabric of their country to enrich themselves and preach hate and division on the regular"
Democratic politicians do this too. Regardless of party, they are all puppets who hit their mark, recite their script, and collect their check. Thinking democrats are less evil is hilarious.
Human beings are too complex to be placed in "this or that" boxes, and that's why politics are successful in dividing and destroying us. Because if you really believe in that black and white mentality, when someone says "I don't identify with that," you will point your finger in the complete opposite direction and make assumptions that likely aren't even true based on that.
No, that's not the case. I just don't think *that way* on *that* issue. They've really destroyed critical thinking skills, that's for sure.
If you can't have conversations and at least open yourself to others perspectives, you will have a sad, lonely life. Just sayin.
Anyway, these convos don't go anywhere on the internet bc it becomes an ego battle when you remove the human from the equation. I truly believe the internet and social media has further divided us. Tone is hard to convey through text, so I just want to clarify that I mean no hate or ill-will... I'm just very passionate because I used to think the exact same way when I identified as "liberal" (I don't identify with anything now, but independent if I had to) and I was miserable.
That idea that it's "the other side!!" is a symptom of this toxic system that wants to divide and destroy us. Most humans are not ass-backwards these days, even if they have slightly differing views. To lump everyone on the right one way is just as small-minded and silly as someone doing that with the left.
"Wisdom never comes to those who think they have nothing left to learn."
@TruthTeller, i love and respect your beautiful soul, sending you all my best wishes.
What kind of people support a president that mocked a covid patient grasping for air and started laughing like Bolsonaro did? Why someone says to demand from previous government action when the administration began January 1st of 2019? All this bulls that makes no sense.
And support a man that makes fun of people dying from a disease is just total lack of morals, compassion and character. Honestly, soulless people, like their idol.
Jesus -- 100%. thanks for speaking the truth directly.
Tony -- it's honestly so distressing.
Truth Teller -- if "going within myself" and "healing" leads to become a rightwinger like yourself who stands up for fascists and makes false equivalencies between the left and right, while invading and derailing a sad post about a tragic event caused by fascists who have no respect for art and culture or the people they govern, than no thanks. I'm with Dan Rather who spoke very eloquently in his "Enough" column
https://steady.substack.com/p/enough
...about the division the right wing sews. Truth is always under attack from the Right. I grew up within a very conservative and right-wing environment so I know what that's like. Healing is was saved me and led me out of it, so I've seen both sides so I'm sorry if I don't believe that *you* know better. I believe in Democracy. Democracy is messy and complicated and at its best has room for the big tent. It doesn't always work beautifullly of course (no system does) but it's better than the alternative.
… and that is why mankind will apparently never be free from the slavery of programming & conditioning… the unbelievable arrogance, the deadly serious self-importance based on fake wisdom… truly sad… i really wish you all the best, though considering these high-school-debate -hour-level thinking y’all beyond salvation and deserve the bitch-slap real reality check that is coming… your favorite movies mean nothing, your worshipping, even less, both are nothing more than the chain in which you are enslaved, shadows in a wall for cavemen
Wow. Now I've seen all the real life drama mixed on the hysterical confrontation.