Editoriais

Between Dystopia and Utopia

The beautiful image of “Pather Panchali” (“Song of the Little Road”, 1955), the debut film by master filmmaker Satyajit Ray, will accompany us throughout the 48th Mostra. The storyboard for this first instalment of the Apu Trilogy was graciously provided by Ray’s son, Sandip Ray, in tribute to his father and to celebrate Indian cinema, which takes centre stage at this year’s festival. As the great Akira Kurosawa once said: “Not to have seen the cinema of Ray means existing in the world without seeing the sun or the moon.” So let’s bask in the warmth of the sun and moon, in the humanism, coherence, morality, and beauty of Ray’s work —rare treasures in these dystopian times.

In this spirit, we begin our marathon with immense gratitude to our sponsors, partners, and supporters, who have made this event possible. We are also deeply thankful to the entire Mostra team, whose hard work throughout the year has resulted in yet another edition we are incredibly proud of.

The 48th Mostra will kick off with “Maria” by Pablo Larraín, a film that portrays the final days of the iconic lyrical singer Maria Callas. The screening could not be held in a more emblematic location than Sala São Paulo —the concert hall, a source of pride for both São Paulo residents and Brazilians, celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2024. Twenty-six years ago, we held our first screening in this prestigious space near the Júlio Prestes Train Station, followed by three additional opening sessions in subsequent years.

This year, we are proud to honour filmmaker Raoul Peck with the Humanity Award. Born in Haiti, raised in Congo and New York, he studied in France, graduated in a divided Berlin, and lived in exile before becoming a filmmaker. Perhaps it is also due to this diverse background that his work reflects concerns for humanity and social injustices. “Ernest Cole: Lost and Found”, his most recent effort and winner of the Golden Eye, Cannes’s prestigious documentary award, will have special screenings as part of Mostra’s programme.

The Leon Cakoff Prize will be presented to one of the greatest filmmakers in cinema history, Francis Ford Coppola. His latest work, “Megalopolis”, will be screened on the closing night of Mostra. This award honours visionary filmmakers —bold directors who take risks in their craft and transform the language of cinema.

As in every edition, Mostra showcases the latest works from renowned filmmakers such as Walter Salles, Jia Zhang-ke, Miguel Gomes, Patricia Mazuy, Tsai Ming-Liang, Radu Jude, Alain Guiraudie, David Cronenberg, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Lav Diaz, and Hong Sang-soo, along with titles from many other masters. We will also feature highly anticipated films that have garnered awards on the festival circuit, including Sean Baker’s “Anora”, winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes; Mati Diop’s “Dahomey”, recipient of the Golden Bear at Berlin; and Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist”, which won the Silver Lion for best direction at Venice. Additionally, audiences can look forward to a wide selection of works from emerging directors.

Christophe Honoré’s “Marcello Mio”, starring Chiara Mastroianni, has inspired us to commemorate the centenary of Marcello Mastroianni. We will present five films by directors of different nationalities, all in new copies, each showcasing Mastroianni through the unique lens of Manoel de Oliveira, Raúl Ruiz, Theo Angelopoulos, Jacques Demy, and Nikita Mikhalkov. 

As a promoter of Brazilian cinema history, Mostra will showcase newly restored copies of “Também Somos Irmãos” (1949) and “Auto de Vitória” (1966), both restored by the Brazilian Cinematheque, as well as “One Is Few, Two Would Fill” (1970), restored by the Capitólio Cinematheque, and “At Play in the Fields of the Lord” (1991). To honour the 20th anniversary of Rogério Sganzerla’s passing, we will also present a new digital copy of “Abismu” (1977).

We are honored, yet a bit sheepish, to present “Viva o Cinema! Uma História da Mostra de São Paulo”, directed by Marina Person and Gustavo Rosa de Moura. This series, by Max/Warner Bros. Discovery, offers the directors’ personal perspective on Mostra and its history.

For the fourth consecutive year, we are hosting the Audiovisual Ideas Market, which includes the VIII Fórum Mostra, the VIII Da Palavra à Imagem (From Word to Image) and the IV Market. These initiatives solidify Mostra not only as a space for film screenings but also as a meeting point for the audiovisual sector, where professionals gather to discuss its artistic, commercial, and political dimensions.

Cinema portrays the state of the world, recalling history and inviting contemplation. In line with this, we will present perspectives on the Levantine peoples with a selection of films from and about the Middle East. Among them are the Berlin double award-winner “No Other Land”, created by a Palestinian-Israeli collective; the recently awarded in Venice “Happy Holidays”, by Palestinian director Scandar Copti; “Green Line”, by Lebanese filmmaker Sylvie Ballyot; and “The List”, by Hana Makhmalbaf. Israeli filmmaker Amos Gitai will present his two latest works showcased on the international circuit: “Shikun” and “Why War”. Additionally, we will pay tribute to pioneering Palestinian filmmaker Michel Khleifi with screenings of three of his most significant films.

Although current events may make us feel like we are living in a dystopia, as depicted in Asif Kapadia’s new film “2073”, we still believe that cinema fosters empathy and helps us understand that the people of a certain place are not defined by their terrible leaders. Through cinema, we can also glimpse utopia on the horizon again, as seen in Maria de Medeiros’s “April Captains” (2000), presented in a specially restored copy to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution. These are hopeful times on the horizon for both the Portuguese and Brazilians.

And because we stubbornly believe in always striving toward utopia, this year, Mostra is launching the 1st Mostrinha, featuring a selection of 22 films for children and young audiences. The opening film will be “Noah’s Ark,” directed by Sérgio Machado and Alois Di Leo, a co- production between Brazil and India, adding an Indian flavour to this new section’s offerings.

It is also because we believe that utopia may still be on the horizon that Mostra is once again a carbon-neutral event, as it has been for the past ten years.

Have a great Mostra, everyone!

Renata de Almeida