A more sordid side to Rio Death, terror, suspense: subjects broached by the cast and crew of Kill me please at Cine Chat on Sunday.
Kill me please (Mate-me por favor) was the subject of one of the festival’s more animated Cine Chat’s so far. Anita Rocha da Silveira’s film follos Bia, a teenager living in Barra da Tijuca, a neighbourhood in Rio, who sees her life turned upside down after a series of brutal murders takes place in the area.
Sergio Mota, professor of Social Communications at one of Rio’s main universities (PUC), led the debate, sharing his view that the film, in spite of starting off like a thriller, went on to tackle more profound and philosophical concepts, such as adolescence, death, the body and the city. The director, Anita Rocha da Silveira, explained that she created the script inspired by many of her own experiences, and using some of the ideas previously explored in her work, such as the relationship between adolescence and death. Moreover, she expressed her desire to set the story in Barra da Tijuca, exploring the recent history of the neighbourhood: the increase of high-rise urbanism with its gated communities; the effects these stagnant, isolated worlds are having on Rio’s young population.
The
audience were full of praise for the work, in particular mentioning the film’s
photography and soundtrack. João Atala, the cinematographer, commented that his
lighting concepts, colours and effects were influenced by the atmosphere of
suspense and terror that gradually crescendos throughout. Bernando Uzeda, the
film’s composer, underlined that for him this was the opportunity of a
lifetime, since he rarely has the chance to compose original pieces and to have
full poetic licence with sound.
From there, the assembled cast and crew, which also included actor Bernando Marinho, editor Marilia Moraes and artistic director Diná Salem Levy, went on to discuss their inspirations in the cinematic world, a range of notables including David Lynch, Gus Van Sant, Maurice Pialat, Lucrécia Martel and Claire Denis, as well as famous artists and writers.
Producer Vânia Catani spoke about the practical obstacles and how these were resolved. She also mentioned the necessity for formal education for aspiring producers of the next generation, stressing the importance of Brazilian cinema schools for the future of cinematic production in the country.
On being asked about the film’s strong female presence, awarded a special prize at the Venice film festival and defined by Mota on a previous occasion as a “driving-force” behind the film, all the actresses agreed that the preparation was so intense that all four of them became very close. Valentina Herszage, who plays Bia, revealed that it was extremely challenging: “We had to really trust one another, and our friendship formed onset only became stronger when transferred to real life.” The other actresses, Dora Freind, Mari Oliveira and Julia Roliz added how important is was for them to feel like they were being listened to and taken seriously throughout the process. “Anita gave us the freedom we needed to prepare properly for the filming, and Ana Kutner, our coach, allowed us to really deepen the relationships we were forming as a group,” Oliveira said.
Text: Juliana Shimada
Photos: Natália Alvim
Translated by Gill Harris. Read the full text in Portuguese here.
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