Literary Inspiration hits Cine Chats Orphans of Eldorado and Olmo and the Seagull were the subject of two highly charged cinematic discussions on Thursday.
Guilherme Coelho’s feature length film Orphans of Eldorado (Órfãos do Eldorado), based on the novel of the same name by Milton Hatoum, tells the story of Arminto (Daniel de Oliveira) who returns to his native land after finding out that his father, Florita (Dira Paes), has taken ill. His journey will be life-changing, burrowing deep into a traumatic past Arminto had determined to leave behind.
Journalist Pedro Butcher, led the debate, and reminded the audience that this is the first time the novel has been adapted for the big screen. The director commented on this: “People always say it’s hard to adapt works by novelists that have a distinctive style, such as this one. The language, they say, is impossible to translate. I don’t agree: I read the novel and immediately was struck by the visual poignancy of the work, something I was determined to bring to life on screen.”
The cast and crew spoke about the idea to set the film in the North of Brazil, in the city of Belem, and the practical challenges that brought with it. However, everyone agreed that the beauty of the landscapes in the North really brought the film to life. Other subjects that came under debate were the production process, the cast’s preparation, and the complicated journey from novel to screen, that required much editing, reworking and restructuring.
Another film that was discussed was Petra Costa’s feature-length Olmo and the Seagull (Olma e a gaviota), inspired by the world-famous Chekhov play.
The director revealed that the film came about because of her desire to depict the daily life of pregnant woman from a psychological perspective. She explained that the film was a fusion of fiction and documentary, partly brought about by the participation of the cast, who were given a free reign to improvise and to act spontaneously. The actress Mariana Lima highlighted the parallels between the film and her personal life, since she was pregnant while filming.
Editor Marina Meliande underlined the fact that the editing process began even before shooting had finished, taking more than a year in total to complete. Martha Kiss, the actress who was also part of the film’s improvised conception, observed that it was really important for the cast to bring their personal daily lives onto screen, as this was a crucial part of what the project was trying to achieve. Because of this, some of the acting is abrupt and a little harsh, particularly the main character’s part.
Another bone of contention was the idealised portrait of pregnant women in the arts, which was debated by various members of the cast, crew and the audience. Petra Costa ended by making it clear she was extremely grateful to the whole team for the production of this film, due for release on the 5th November this year, adding that the film would never have been made possible without the support of Danish co-director, Lea Glob.
Adapted by Gill Harris from texts by Maria Caú and Pedro Alves
Photos: Carolina la Cerda
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