Tea del Valle

This week we were introduced to Brazilian Cinema Novo and it’s leading directors including Glauber Rocha, Nelson Pereira dos Santos, Joaquim Pedro de Andrade, and Ruy Guerra. We watched the documentary Cinema Novo from 2016 directed by Glauber Rocha’s son, Eryk Rocha. The film doesn’t follow classic documentary style conventions; there are no present-day interviews. Instead the film montages archival footage, Cinema Novo films from the 60s and 70s, behind the scenes footage, as well as clips of some directors talking about their work and the meaning of the Cinema Novo movement. Like Cinema Novo itself, the documentary takes account of the movement through non-linear storytelling, no use of title cards for the films, and little context is used to situate the history of the movement. Through the montage, Cinema Novo’s themes are presented such as the concept of hunger as both literal and metaphorical, and the role of violence is situated under colonialism and exploitation.