Brazil has been on a roll lately. The world's fifth largest country has been awarded the FIFA World Cup for 2014 and South America's first Olympics in 2016. Brazilians can't help but feel jubilant as the world's gaze turns south.
While Festival Cinema Brasil has been around since 2005, the organizers must be feeling some of the momentum of their countrymen, as they plan on taking the event's sixth installment to Tokyo, Osaka, Hamamatsu and Kyoto — a first for the festival.
The event seeks to teach audiences in Japan about Brazil and its culture through the medium of movies. Pieces screened at the event, everything from comedies to dramas, have never been seen in Japan before, making for some exciting new film fare.
"Futebol Brasileiro," a documentary by Japanese director Miki Kuretani, claims to reveal and dissect the secrets of Brazilian soccer. Kuretani will also make a guest appearance at the Tokyo screening of her film on Oct. 9.
"Mutum" is a 2007 drama based on Joa~o Guimara~es Rosa's novel "Campo Geral." The film shows a different side of Brazil, away from the glamorous sands of Copacabana Beach and set in the country's hinterland. "Mutum" has also been a favorite on the festival circuit.
Festival Cinema Brasil will take place at Eurospace in Tokyo from Oct. 9 to 15; Cine Nouveau in Osaka from Oct. 16 to 22; Cinema E~ra in Hamamatsu from Oct. 23 to 29; and finally at Kyoto Cinema in Kyoto from Nov. 13 to 19. For more information, call (03) 5637-5469 or visit 2010.cinemabrasil.info.