Editoriais

Who has a friend has everything

If the pit devours it, he searches the bottom

It`s so nice that together all stress is small

It`s a point to shore up when it was absurd

Emicida

São Paulo-born muralist Eduardo Kobra created the following image for the 46th Mostra: a girl reaching for the emblematic moon of George Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon (1902). Kobra, in turn, is portrayed in Lina Chamie’s documentary Kobra Self-Portrait, featured in this year’s selection. The dream image is comforting in the face of these troubled times the world is going through, which are reflected in the more than 230 films in the festival’s programme.

In a decisive year for the country, Mostra presents a wide selection of Brazilian films by celebrated filmmakers as well as fresh new talent. Mostra Brasil is structured under two main themes: A Look about the Amazon and A Look about Faith. Brazilian cinema is also present at the 46th Mostra Humanity Award, awarded to director Ana Carolina, creator of exuberant images which have burst through the country’s screens. Her trilogy: Sea of Roses (1977), Heart and Guts (1982) and Dream Waltz (1987) will be screened along with her most recent effort, Endless Passions (2022).

Brazilian history is revisited in screenings of restored copies of Black God, White Devil (1964), The Devil Queen (1974) and Needle in a Haystack (1953). The latter will have a special screening joined by actress and singer Dóris Monteiro, recipient of this year’s Leon Cakoff Prize. Additionally, to highlight the importance of world cinema history, we present the long-awaited restored copies of two films by Jean Eustache: The Mother and the Whore (1973) and My Little Loves (1974), along with a restored copy of Tajik classic Brother (1991), by director Bakhtyar Khudojnazarov.

But the major part of Mostra’s line-up is dedicated to what’s newest and most significant in international audiovisual: works by renowned directors and new authors, with titles from more than 60 countries. The winners of the Cannes, Berlin and San Sebastian film festivals will be presented, as well as films awarded at several other festivals such as Venice, Locarno and Sundance.

Great filmmakers who have participated in past editions of Mostra are sending their new efforts. Among them are Marco Bellocchio, Aleksander Sokurov and Jafar Panahi, winner of the Special Jury Prize at Venice Film Festival, but unfortunately still imprisoned in his country.

This year, Mostra pays tribute to two directors who have left us: Jean-Luc Godard is the protagonist of See You Friday, Robinson (2022), by Mitra Farahani, and Arnaldo Jabor will be honoured with a screening of I Love You (1981), during which the audience will have the opportunity to watch excerpts from his testimony to cycle Filmes da Minha Vida (The Films of My Life).

Besides being reunited with their favourite artists, the audience, as so happens every year, will have the chance to venture into “unknown paths”, and to uncover all surprising gems that await them — after two years, spectators will finally be able to share again this collective experience inside movie theaters. VR (Virtual Reality) sessions, in-person events, return to Mostra after a two-year absence, offering works from Brazil and abroad.

The Audiovisual Ideas Market is also back in town for its second edition, hosting the VI Forum Mostra, the VI Da Palavra à Imagem (VI From Word to Image) along with its pitching session and panel discussion on the topic, and the II Encontro de Negócios (II Business Meeting). These activities, dealing with creative, commercial and political aspects of the audiovisual industry, will take place at the Cinemateca Brasileira from the 26th to the 29th of October. Oh and, of course, long live the Cinemateca! With its reopening, the venue is officially back to Mostra’s circuit!

If we managed to get this far, it was thanks to our sponsors, partners and supporters, who remain by our side as we hold yet another edition of Mostra. For the first time, we also received the support of Amigos da Mostra, an initiative comprised of a group of patrons who are friends to the audiovisual industry and who have allowed Mostra to reach its 46th edition safe and strong.

I am extremely grateful to the Mostra team, to our long-time friends and to the new ones who have joined us along the way.

May everyone have a great Mostra, and may it be a good friend to its audience!

Renata de Almeida