I Live in Documentary Heaven...

People in Brazil complain that it's very difficult to get their documentaries distributed. I'm amazed, because in the past three years of extended stays in Rio, I've seen more of them than in all my life in the U.S. I did some research and confirmed my suspicion: this country has become an important center for documentary movies. Every year since 1996, Brazil has also hosted It's All True, the international documentary film festival. I've decided to post a list of my "do-not-miss-this-one," in case some of them eventually find their way to a cinema or a DVD rental place near you. Besides the one mentioned in an earlier post, here they are (in no particular order, except that the first two are showing in Rio right now):

1. "Fabricando Tom Zé" Intimate interviews with the "mad genius" of Brazilian music, interspersed with scenes filmed during his 2005 European tour.
2. "Três Irmãos de Sangue" The lives and times of three extraordinary Brazilians who fought against the military dictatorship and for the country's redemocratization: hemophiliac brothers Betinho (a sociologist), Henfil (perhaps Brazil's greatest cartoonist), and musician Chico Mário, all of whom ended up infected with HIV during blood transfusions and ultimately died of Aids.
3. "Ônibus 174" A former street kid hijacks a bus in an expensive neighborhood of Rio and it all ends in tragedy.
4. "A Pessoa É Para o Que Nasce" The story of three blinds sisters who are coco singers in northeastern Brazil.
5. "Morro da Conceição" Interviews with the inhabitants of the oldest neighborhood in Rio.
6. "O Rio de Jano" Follows French cartoonist and artist Jano as he immerses himself in Rio's lifestyle and draws its inhabitants and scenery.
7. "O Fim e o Princípio" Famed director Eduardo Coutinho and his crew went to the interior of Paraíba (a state in northeastern Brazil) looking for a story to tell. In meeting the aging inhabitants of a remote rural area, they got much more than they bargained for.
8. "Vinícius" The biography of the great poet and bossa nova lyricist Vinícius de Moraes told through interviews, archival material, and musical numbers (I found the latter a bit disconcerting).
9. "Sou Feia Mas Tô na Moda" Focuses on Brazilian funk's major female stars from Rio's favelas. This is a love it or hate it kind of film, be forewarned.
10. "Carnaval, Bexiga, Funk e Sombrinha" A loving tribute to the traditional carnaval groups from suburban Rio called clóvis.

There are also some wonderful ones that I missed and hope to find on DVD around here, such as "Edifício Master," where Eduardo Coutinho documents the daily lives of people in a huge building in Copacabana, and "Paulinho da Viola: Meu Tempo é Hoje," about the samba songwriter and singer.

Last, but not least, two DVDs about Brazilian music: "Nasci no Brasil" and "Brasileirinho," already available in the U.S.

The photograph is a scene from "Brasileirinho," the documentary about Rio's musical genre, choros. It's all there: the magic, spontaneity, and sophistication of the music; the open air classes and performances; the intergenerational musical brotherhood of choro musicians and their bond with the audiences.