Love and loss in Lisbon The film Beatriz comes under debate at the first Cine Chat session held on Saturday evening.
Beatriz tells the story of a young Brazilian couple living in Lisbon. When Marcelo (Sérgio Guizé) decides to write his second novel, Beatriz (Marjorie Estiano) helps him dream up his fictional protagonist, an act that will blur the boundaries between fiction and reality.
Flávia Guerra opened the discussion by stressing the feminine nature of the work: “It’s a film written and directed by men, but which elaborates a feminine first-person perspective”. Drawing on this, the director, Alberto Graça, spoke about the importance of creating a sense of female expression, underlining the importance of the editing process for smoothing out the heroine’s characterisation. Going into more detail on this aspect of the work, Marília de Moraes, the film’s chief editor, claimed it was an honor to be chosen for this project. “My role was to bring integrity and coherence to Beatriz’s character, to make her stronger and more impactful,” she observed.
Producer Luciana Marinho emphasised the international nature of the production, but revealed that the whole shooting process took place in Lisbon and especially paid tribute to the Portuguese team.
Marjorie Estiano spoke about the difficulties she faced when it came to interpreting the role of Beatriz, which was considerably demanding on a physical level. The actress confirmed that her acting coach, Helena Varvaki, also present at the Cine Chat session, was instrumental in this challenging process. “She has totally re-defined what being an actor means to me”, she stated, admiringly.
The director underscored the fact that the film’s main themes – loss and sorrow, and the impossibility of romantic love – made the process in many ways difficult to bear. “When you start talking about the finite nature of love, sometimes that can become painful,” she said, praising her protagonist for her interpretation of the role. She stated that the actress had interpreted the role exactly has she wanted, concluding simply: “Marjorie created my Beatriz”.
Words: Maria Caú
Photos: Carolina la Cerda
Translation: Gill Harris
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original in Portuguese here.
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