Carnival Is Over (or Os Enforcados) hits theaters on August 14th, marking director Fernando Coimbra’s first Brazilian feature since his work on international productions like Narcos, Outcast, and Perry Mason. The script passed through the Sundance Lab in 2015 and was awarded at the Sundance Festival with the Sundance Global Filmmaking Award two years later.
The plot is loosely based on the arc of The Tragedy of Macbeth, by Shakespeare, where Lady Macbeth instigates her husband through the darkest ways of obtaining power. In the new adaptation, Regina (Leandra Leal) propels a wave of violence that she and her husband experience on their way to money and power. “Carnival Is Over is an original and surprising script, which makes you laugh, makes you scared, makes you emotional, makes you uncomfortable”, noted the producer, Fabiano Gullane, in promo materials.
Fernando Coimbra explores the violence in Rio de Janeiro from a new perspective. Usually, the crimes represented in Brazilian cinema are those related to favelas, such as movies like City of God and Elite Squad. In Carnival Is Over we see the worst of Brazil — the ones who profit from crime, the corrupt upper class. “[…] The suburbs, when they appear, have the clichés of people playing samba and drinking beer. So I was interested in seeing the sides of Rio de Janeiro that aren’t often shown. And Barra da Tijuca is one of those places”, stated the director.
“Many people who live there are social upstarts, whether soccer players, musicians, artists, or people involved in the illegal gambling industry, who came from lower social classes and worked their way up. […] They’re Rio de Janeiro’s nouveau riche.”
Fernando Coimbra in publicity material.
The director revives his partnership with actress Leandra Leal, who has worked with him in A Wolf at the Door (O Lobo Atrás da Porta, 2013). “It’s really cool to repeat a partnership, because I don’t have to second-guess myself. When he says it’s good, I know it is. I trust the professional and the person he is. And it was really cool to see his and my evolution”, said the actress.
He also repeated his work with producer Gullane, who also did the feature film A Wolf at the Door and his short film Magnífica Desolação (2010), and with whom he’s currently working as director of the series Contaminados. “He is one of the directors we most admire in Brazil”, stated Fabiano Gullane.
The release coordinator of Carnival Is Over, Fred Avellar, noticed a discrepancy between how the film is being received abroad and the response from Brazilian audiences. He said that “it speaks volumes about Brazilian culture, so it’s much easier for Brazilians to understand the film and feel the nuances, including the humor that it brings, than abroad, where people don’t have that repertoire, that foundation of Brazilian culture to truly understand what’s behind the film’s script.”
Avellar also pointed out that the film, besides being from a Brazilian director and representing his culture, also has a very international construction. “The film has this [international] aesthetic already in the script, do you notice that?”, told him in a interview to Her Campus Cásper Líbero. “You realize it’s a bit of a foreign film when you compare it to Argentine films, European films, even American films. It has a language both in the script and in the director’s aesthetic. And it must certainly be influenced not only by Sundance Lab but also by the work Fernando has done outside of Brazil.”
The premiere of a Brazilian thriller in cinemas is refreshing. It is not that common to see this genre of national films. The film release coordinator told us that this is not a coincidence — it is a difficult genre for the public in Brazil to accept. Fred told us it is not usually what we’re famous for in the internal market.
Carnival Is Over is a Brazilian thriller with foreign film investment. The movie has a strong director, who conducts a very captivating narrative catalyzed by powerful actors. This combination is made for the big screen and will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last minute.
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The article above was edited by Clara Rocha.
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