Glauber Rocha | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1939-03-14)14 March 1939 Vitória da Conquista,Bahia, Brazil |
| Died | 22 August 1981(1981-08-22) (aged 42) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Occupation | Film director |
| Years active | 1959–1981 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | Anecy Rocha (sister) |
| Awards | |
Glauber de Andrade Rocha (Portuguese pronunciation:[ˈɡlawbeʁdʒiɐ̃ˈdɾadʒiˈʁɔʃɐ]; 14 March 1939 – 22 August 1981) was a Brazilianfilm director, actor andscreenwriter. He was one of the most influential moviemakers ofBrazilian cinema and a key figure ofCinema Novo. His filmsBlack God, White Devil andEntranced Earth are often considered to be two of the greatest achievements in Brazilian cinematic history,[1] being selected byAbraccine as, respectively, the second and fifth best Brazilian films of all-time. Rocha also the distinction of having the most films on Abraccine's list: 5 films.[2]
Rocha's film possess a staunchavant-garde and experimental nature, making of him a seminal figure of thenew wave. His works are noted for their many political overtones, often addressing the passive-aggressive situation of theThird World, which Rocha referred to both metaphorically and objectively as "hunger" in hisessayEstética da Fome (The Aesthetics of Hunger). Rocha won thePrix de la mise en scène at the1969 Cannes Film Festival forAntonio das Mortes and the1977Special Jury Prize for Best Short Film forDi. Three of Rocha's films were nominated for thePalme d'Or, includingEntranced Earth, which was awarded theFIPRESCI at the1967 Cannes Film Festival and the Grand Prix of theLocarno Film Festival of the same year.
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Rocha was born inVitória da Conquista,Bahia, Brazil,[3] and moved with his family toSalvador when he was only nine years old, there studying in a well-knownPresbyterian school.
During his adolescence, he developed great interest in arts, especially theatre and cinema, and even joined a drama group. He was also very active in politics, a trait that would be strongly influential in his works. A member of the Brazilianradical left, he helped start apolitical party in the late 1950s that called for an anti-capitalist people's revolution and, among other things, advocated the abolition of money.
By the age of 16, he startedfreelancing for a local newspaper and debuted as a movie reviewer. Later, he attended Law School for about two years and in 1959, after taking part in some projects as assistant, he finally directed his firstShort film,Pátio. After gaining some recognition in Bahia for his critical and artistic work, Rocha decided to quit college and pursue a journalistic career, as well as being afilm-maker.
He is famous for his film trilogy, made up ofBlack God, White Devil (1964) – perhaps his most acclaimed movie, nominated for theGolden Palm -Entranced Earth (1967) andAntonio das Mortes (1969), award-winning for Best Director atCannes. His films were renowned for their strongly-expressed political themes, often combined with mysticism and folklore, but also for their particular style and photography. Rocha is regarded as one of the best Brazilian directors of all time and leader of theCinema Novo movement, as well as a full-time polemicist. He once said, "I am the Cinema Novo,"[4] paraphrasingLouis XIV's famous quote. In an interview withLe Monde, Rocha said: "My Brazilian films belong to a whole period when my generation was full of wild dreams and hopes. They are full of enthusiasm, faith and militancy and were inspired by my great love of Brazil."[5]
In 1969, he was a member of the jury at the6th Moscow International Film Festival.[6] In the following year, Rocha made a brief appearance in theDziga Vertov Group filmWind from the East. After refusing an invitation byJean-Luc Godard to shoot a segment of the film, Rocha appeared as a man in a crossway pointing the direction of the political cinema, namely, the Cinema Novo.[7]
In 1971, during theBrazilian military dictatorship, he left the country to a voluntaryexile, dwelling in many places, such asSpain,Chile, andFrance, eventually relocating to thePortuguese Riviera, with the help of his friend, Portuguese filmmakerManuel Carvalheiro.[8] He never completely returned home until his last days, when he was transferred fromLisbon, where he had been receiving medical treatment for a lung infection, toRio de Janeiro. Rocha resisted in hospital for few days, but ultimately died on August 22, 1981, at the age of 42. He had been married three times and had five children. His daughterAva is a singer-songwriter.[9]
| † | Indicates a documentary | ‡ | Indicates a short film |
| Year | Original title | English release title(s) | Language(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Cruz na Praça‡ | Unfinished silent short film.Lost. | ||
| 1959 | Pátio‡ | Terrace | Silent | |
| 1962 | Barravento | Barravento /The Turning Wind | Portuguese | |
| 1964 | Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol | Black God, White Devil | Portuguese | |
| 1965 | Amazonas, Amazonas† | Portuguese | Short documentary on theAmazonas state in Brazil. | |
| 1966 | Maranhão 66† | Portuguese | Short documentary onJosé Sarney's inaugural address as governor ofMaranhão state in Brazil and its poor people's harsh life conditions. | |
| 1967 | Terra em Transe | Anguished Land /Land Entranced /Land in Anguish /Entranced Earth | Portuguese | |
| 1968 | 1968† | Portuguese | Short documentary on theMarch of the One Hundred Thousand. | |
| 1969 | O Dragão da Maldade Contra o Santo Guerreiro | Antonio das Mortes | Portuguese | French-Brazilian-German-American co-production |
| 1970 | Der Leone Have Sept Cabeças | Der Leone Have Sept Cabeças,The Lion Has Seven Heads | Portuguese, French, German, English | Brazilian-Italian-French-Congolese co-production. |
| 1970 | Cabezas Cortadas | Cutting Heads | Spanish | Spanish-Brazilian co-production. |
| 1972 | Câncer | Cancer | Portuguese | Filmed between 1968-1972. |
| 1972 | Paloma, Paloma† | Portuguese | A diary of a trip filmed by Glauber inPunta del Este that documents the reunion of the Rocha family. | |
| 1973 | História do Brasil† | History of Brazil | Portuguese | Co-directed with Marcos Medeiros. Cuban-Italian co-production. Documentary on thehistory of Brazil. |
| 1975 | Claro | Italian, French, English | Italian production. | |
| 1975 | As Armas e o Povo† | Portuguese | Collective film. Directed withAlberto Seixas Santos,António da Cunha Telles,Eduardo Geada, José de Sá Caetano andJosé Fonseca e Costa. Portuguese production. Documentary on the 1974Carnation Revolution. | |
| 1977 | Di† | Portuguese | Also known asDi Cavalcanti andDi-Glauber. Short documentary onDi Cavalcanti during hiswake andburial. | |
| 1977 | Jorge Amado no Cinema† | Portuguese | Also known asJorjamado andJorjamado no Cinema. Short documentary onJorge Amado. | |
| 1980 | A Idade da Terra | The Age of the Earth | Portuguese | |
| 2015 | A Vida É Estranha† | Portuguese | Co-directed withMossa Bildner. Filmed in 1973. Short documentary on Rocha and Bildner's trip toEssaouira city inMorocco. |
