DIRECTOR: KLEBER MENDONCA FILHO
STARRING: DOCUMENTARY
RUNNING TIME: 1 HR 33 MINUTES
Downtown Recife's classic movie palaces from the 20th century are mostly gone. That city area is now an archaeological site of sorts that reveals aspects of life in society which have been lost. And that's just part of the story.
STARRING: DOCUMENTARY
RUNNING TIME: 1 HR 33 MINUTES
Downtown Recife's classic movie palaces from the 20th century are mostly gone. That city area is now an archaeological site of sorts that reveals aspects of life in society which have been lost. And that's just part of the story.
FILM REVIEW:
(This review contains spoilers.)
“Over all these years, I learned how time changes places.”
Pictures of Ghosts is the International Feature submission for Brazil. Growing up and beginning his career as a writer and director in Recife, it’s only natural that his latest film is a love letter to his hometown. Kleber Mendonça Filho has created a personal story, through the streets of his neighbourhood, and the history of the city, to illustrate a never ending changing nation. His documentary has been divided into three segments.
Part one is dedicated to his childhood home and the neighbouring buildings around his area. His single mother Joceline, a local historian, bought a three bedroom home in 1979. There in the Setubal Apartments, Kleber and his family grew up. In this home, Kleber began filming his first ever movies, by using a VHS camera, which were usually action or horror films. Kleber has also seen the city morph into skyscrapers and shopping malls starting from his childhood to the present day Recife.
Part two is dedicated to the cinemas and downtown Recife. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, the downtown area was an important commercial hub for Northeastern Brazil. Money was pouring into the city. To Kleber’s glee, it was also a vibrant movie scene, where he would watch several films a week. But as time passed, downtown Recife has been forgotten. It smells like the tide, the fruits and piss. The theatres have either been abandoned or turned into shopping malls.
Part three is dedicated to how these theatres have now been converted to Evangelical churches, mainly due to the extreme right-wing Bolsonaro regime. According to the film, Evangelicals bought cinema. It’s an end of an era for Recife, as in the past 50 years more than 30 million people watched films in their local theatres. Now, it’s no more.
I’ll lock up the cinema with a key of tears. Recife is now a ghost town of its former self. All that’s left now are pictures and memories of what it was in the past.
REVIEW: C+
(This review contains spoilers.)
“Over all these years, I learned how time changes places.”
Pictures of Ghosts is the International Feature submission for Brazil. Growing up and beginning his career as a writer and director in Recife, it’s only natural that his latest film is a love letter to his hometown. Kleber Mendonça Filho has created a personal story, through the streets of his neighbourhood, and the history of the city, to illustrate a never ending changing nation. His documentary has been divided into three segments.
Part one is dedicated to his childhood home and the neighbouring buildings around his area. His single mother Joceline, a local historian, bought a three bedroom home in 1979. There in the Setubal Apartments, Kleber and his family grew up. In this home, Kleber began filming his first ever movies, by using a VHS camera, which were usually action or horror films. Kleber has also seen the city morph into skyscrapers and shopping malls starting from his childhood to the present day Recife.
Part two is dedicated to the cinemas and downtown Recife. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, the downtown area was an important commercial hub for Northeastern Brazil. Money was pouring into the city. To Kleber’s glee, it was also a vibrant movie scene, where he would watch several films a week. But as time passed, downtown Recife has been forgotten. It smells like the tide, the fruits and piss. The theatres have either been abandoned or turned into shopping malls.
Part three is dedicated to how these theatres have now been converted to Evangelical churches, mainly due to the extreme right-wing Bolsonaro regime. According to the film, Evangelicals bought cinema. It’s an end of an era for Recife, as in the past 50 years more than 30 million people watched films in their local theatres. Now, it’s no more.
I’ll lock up the cinema with a key of tears. Recife is now a ghost town of its former self. All that’s left now are pictures and memories of what it was in the past.
REVIEW: C+
