Cinema

A lesson in conciseness, expressiveness, and humor on the inexhaustible theme of the dream of making movies. A parodic lesson, a Brazilian version of historical scenes filmed by the Lumiére brothers in 1895—the baby, the bath in the garden, the workers leaving, and the arrival of the train. The melodrama of a couple of lovers through time and the history of cinema. Many sequence shots, as preferred and taught by Cinema Novo. Everything about a film being made and being watched. The language of cinema (shot, reverse shot, tracking shot, editing, mixing, dubbing, etc.), interspersed with quotes from Humberto Mauro, Godard, Glauber Rocha, and Rossellini.

Directed by Paulo César Saraceni, Cinema leans on a strong ensemble — Joel Barcellos, Maria Fernanda, Ana Maria Miranda — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1974.