Cinema Novo was a Brazilian film movement in the 1960s and 70s that focused on showing the struggles of poor and working-class people, as well as issues of race. Famous directors like Glauber Rocha and Nelson Pereira dos Santos made bold, political films with limited resources, challenging mainstream cinema. Eryk Rocha’s documentary about Cinema Novo felt artistic rather than traditional, using old footage, interviews, and creative editing to capture the movement’s energy. Even though it was sometimes hard to follow, it made the history feel alive. Cinema Novo’s influence is still seen today in films that highlight social and political issues.

Cinema Novo was a Brazilian film movement in the 1960s and 70s that focused on showing the struggles of poor and working-class people, as well as issues of race. Famous directors like Glauber Rocha and Nelson Pereira dos Santos made bold, political films with limited resources, challenging mainstream cinema. Eryk Rocha’s documentary about Cinema Novo felt artistic rather than traditional, using old footage, interviews, and creative editing to capture the movement’s energy. Even though it was sometimes hard to follow, it made the history feel alive. Cinema Novo’s influence is still seen today in films that highlight social and political issues.

I enjoyed Rocha’s film theory about the didactic and the epic. His writing it works a lot like his films.  “How can the intellectual of the underdeveloped worldovercome his alienation and contradictions and attain a revolutionary lucidity?”

His films like DI and MARANHAO 66 reflect that desire to reach this “revolutionary lucidity”  through breaking away from the colonialism structures and mores of European society through film. I noticed the use of close ups, frenetic editing, and handheld camera. He was willing to be crude to make audiences and others uncomfortable with the truth of life. This seems to be line in the standard of Cinema Novo.

AMAZONAS, AMAZONAS is probably the calmest and more “standard” of his films, so it was cool to see the evolution of this didactic/epic idea.

I also really enjoyed the CAT SKIN short film because of the way it was a simple story that reveals the truths and difficulties of race and class in Brazil.

Jahsira Williams

Today we watched short films, Amazonas,Amazonas (1965), Di Glauber/Cavalcanti (1977),and Maranhão 66 (1966) from director Glauber Rocha. For my presentation, I watched his film Amazonas,Amazonas beforehand. After watching that film and learning a bit about the process of making it,I greatly admired the man and the single work I saw from him. I was excited to see the rest of his films and if they approached sensitive topics as well as Amazonas,Amazonas. That excitement changed once we watched one of his other films,Di Glauber/Cavalcanti. It was much more chaotic than Amazonas,Amazonas in both editing and content. Glauber Rocha narrates most of the picture, and his narration here vastly differs from his narration in Amazonas,Amazonas. In Amazonas,Amazonas,he speaks calmly but there is a hint of solemnness that gives the topic of poverty,colonialism,and environmental destruction in the Amazon region the gravity it deserves. In Di Glauber/Cavalcanti,Rocha sounds much more manic in comparison. He speaks loudly,quickly, and often starts rambling about vaguely related topics. Sometimes he repeats himself and his rants can often come off as boisterous or insensitive. While it can be argued that this more chaotic style is representative of the world-wind of emotions Rocha feels after losing his friend,what can’t be defended is his treatment of Di’s family and his body during the funeral. He was told many times that filming was not allowed and even uncovered his friend’s face despite the wishes of his family. While I admired his political work with Amazonas,Amazonas and Maranhão 66,his actions towards a grieving family knocked him off the pedestal I set him on in my head.

I really enjoyed how this film uses experimental filmmaking techniques while focusing on political and social issues in Brazil. These directors, Glauber Rocha, nelson Pereira dos santos and Carlos Diegues, embraced the real and rawness of Brazil. Almost a documentary like approach creating a sense of realism in the film, and doesn’t have a linear story telling. I feel like this style was heavily influenced by Brazils military dictatorship which inspired the filmmakers to find a new form of resistance against authority. It really brought me closer to the harsh realities of life in Brazil in 1960s. The establishing shots, the contrast used to show brazils landscape while also showing the struggles of Brazilian people gave the film space and scale. Cinema Novo is known for “aesthetic of hunger” emphasizing deep poverty as well as inequalities faced by many. There’s also a lot of religious symbolism throughout the film. Overall this film breaks away from traditional Hollywood conventions and focuses on a more personal and politically charged form of cinema.

Madison Reed

Cinema Novo was a revolutionary film movement in Brazil that broke away from traditional storytelling to confront social injustice, inequality, and political oppression head-on. Its leading directors—Glauber Rocha, Nelson Pereira dos Santos, Joaquim Pedro de Andrade, and Ruy Guerra—pushed the boundaries of cinematic language, using raw imagery and impassioned rhetoric to articulate the struggles of a society in flux. Eryk Rocha’s 2016 documentary Cinema Novo serves as both a tribute and a critical reflection on that transformative era. One of the aspects I truly admired about the film was its personal touch. Eryk brings a unique insider perspective, blending archival footage, intimate interviews, and personal reflections to evoke the spirit and passion of the movement. His reverence for his father’s legacy is palpable, and he does an excellent job of capturing the fervor and idealism that defined Cinema Novo. The documentary promotes the revolutionary ideas of the movement while also challenging viewers to reconsider its impact in a contemporary context. It invites audiences to see how the bold experimentation and political engagement of the 1960s continue to resonate today, making the film both a historical document and an artistic statement. The way it juxtaposes the raw energy of past works with modern-day reflections creates a layered narrative that is both celebratory and introspective. It captures the defiant spirit of a movement that dared to challenge the status quo, while also prompting us to reflect on how art and politics continue to intersect in our modern world.

– Amyy Mubeen

Watching Cinema Novo was like entering the minds of directors who saw cinema as an instrument for change. Rocha’s style combines vintage material, voiceovers, and film fragments in a way that is almost hypnotic. Instead than defining Cinema Novo, the documentary exemplifies it: chaotic, bold, and passionately involved with the world. The cinematography is not about perfection, but rather energy and intensity. Cinema Novo by Eryk Rocha is a powerful examination of a movement that revolutionized Brazilian filmmaking. The way Rocha organized the documentary, not as a simple historical narrative, but as an engrossing, nearly surreal montage of sound and visuals was what most impressed me. Drawing inspiration from the unpolished, handheld aesthetic that characterized Cinema Novo, the cinematography has a smooth vibe. Layered voices, sudden cuts, and dynamic juxtapositions are some of the experimental editing choices that produce a sense of movement that reflects the films’ political urgency.

Beyond the technical, the notion that film may be revolutionary struck a chord with me. The goal of Cinema Novo’s filmmakers was to reveal reality, especially the hardships faced by Brazil’s working class and impoverished, rather than to provide an escape from reality. Using the camera as a weapon against oppression, they saw filmmaking as an act of resistance. It got me to reflect about the potential of cinema that goes beyond aesthetics. In what ways might my cinematography support narrative in a way that inspires, challenges, and provokes? I was reminded by Rocha’s documentary that the most impactful films are those that dare to be honest.

What made me appreciate the form of Eryk Rocha’s documentary Cinema Novo, was the obvious choice to enlighten the audience on Brasil’s cinematic movement in a poetic way. The documentary is both educational and relatively immersive. To really prove the essence of cinema novo movement, it is imperative to focus in emotion and style. The documentary flows in a haunting way, flashing archival footage while simultaneously layering sound. The film almost creates a montage similar to that of early cinema, building off of itself, setting the scene. Now while the film feels educations, it also feels that some of that knowledge received while watching, comes from feelings conjured during its run time. Feeling down to its core is what matters here. It is through feeling that out thoughts are motivated.

Cinema Novo was a film movement that originated in Brazil in the 1960s. In class we watched the 2016 documentary on Cinema Novo and I have to say I thought it was interesting. In many ways the documentary was a sort of advertisement for the genre as a whole. I thought the documentarian technique of using old footage of the filmmakers was effective and unique. The story isn’t told by the person who made the film, a la narrator and such. But rather actually told by the people who lived it. Which I believe to be a unqiue experience. You don’t feel swayed either way by the filmmaker, he convinces you that you’re just listeing to a story. I also loved the difference in film styles you see from the people who made the films. quality of camera, exposure, color or not, this documentary did such a fantastic job of adversiting the films in a quick way. A common complaint I have with films is that you can’t see as many as you want, but you’re able to get a glimpse through this film into the broad spectrum of styles these men had. To close you also get such a fantastic sense of community through this experience. You see how close everyone was and I particularly like the scene where one of the memebers of film industry introduces twenty plus other members to the camera.

This week we learned about Cinema Novo, a Brazilian film movement that lasted through the 60s and 70s. It was created and contributed to by filmmakers who wanted to show the struggles of Brazil’s working class and poor communities, also tackling the subject of race. Some of the more well-known directors from this movement include Glauber Rocha, Nelson Pereira dos Santos, Carlos Diegues, and Ruy Guerra.

I liked how Eryk Rocha’s documentary on Cinema Novo wasn’t just a traditional documentary but instead felt like an artistic experience. Rather than presenting a straightforward history, Rocha used a mix of archival footage, interviews, and abstract editing to immerse the audience in the movement’s energy. The visuals and sounds blended together in a way that made the documentary feel more like a film from the Cinema Novo movement itself rather than just a film about it. This approach made the documentary engaging, even if at times it felt a little overwhelming or hard to follow. I appreciated how Rocha let the movement speak for itself through its films rather than relying too much on narration

I respect what the filmmakers were trying to do. Cinema Novo was all about pushing boundaries, challenging mainstream filmmaking, and giving a voice to people who were usually ignored in Brazilian cinema. It’s inspiring how these directors used whatever resources they had to create bold films with a political message. I also think it’s impressive that their influence can still be seen in modern filmmaking, especially in movies that focus on social and political messages.

-Robbie Atienza