On September 5, The Brazilian Academy of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (ABCAA) disclosed that “Marte Um”, directed by Gabriel Martins, will be the Brazilian nominee to compete for a spot at the Oscar 2023, in the category of Best International Film.
The movie was exhibited at the Gramado Film Festival, which happened on August 17. At the event, it received four “Kikitos” – the festival’s award statuette: Best Film by Popular Jury, Best Script, Best Soundtrack, and Special Jury Award. The film was highly applauded by the audience and became one of the favorites of the event.
Here is what you should know about “Marte Um” and why this film deserved Oscar’s 2023 nomination. Check it out:
addressing SOCIAL ISSUES
“Marte Um” follows on with the story of a lower-middle-class black family – The Martins – from the margins of Contagem, Minas Gerais, after the 2018 elections – which elected a far-right president. The family is formed by the parents, Tércia (Rejane Faria) and Wellington (Carlos Francisco), their son Deivid (Cícero Lucas) – known as Deivinho – and their daughter Eunice (Camilla Damião). In this context, during the daily routine of the family, the movie is built as a dramatic narrative that approaches some relevant social themes.
Tércia, after an unpredictable incident, starts having some panic attacks and believes that she is cursed. Here is a clear reflection on the impacts of mental health in the individual daily life, a theme that is usually neglected and not always portrayed in audiovisual productions.
Her husband, Wellington, is a luxury building employee and a member of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). He puts all his hopes into his son’s future soccer career. Deivinho hesitantly follows his father’s goals, besides his dream of becoming an astrophysicist and being part of the Mars One project to colonize Mars in 2030. In the story, we follow the family’s struggle around social inequalities and the duality that permeates Deivid: to follow his dreams and ambitions or to financially help his family. The movie brings to spot considerations around the consequences of the income disparity that is part of the reality of many Brazilians.
In addition, an important theme of the film is Eunice’s love discoveries in a relationship with Joana and the uncertainties of assuming this relationship. There is an internal conflict between telling her family about it and taking their relationship one step ahead, by moving together to an apartment and conquering more freedom or staying in her house apart from Joana and helping her family.
Thus, “Marte Um” establishes reality as a counterpoint to dreams.
Filled with Brazilian culture
Another point of the movie that should be highlighted is the soundtrack – as it was awarded at the Gramado Film Festival. Besides the original compositions, which seek to be faithful to the subtlety of the story, the film has songs from rap, funk, samba, and MPB (Popular Brazilian Music) – popular musical genres that are not often on spots.
So here are the reasons why “Marte Um” is one masterpiece of Brazilian contemporary cinema and why it is the perfect contender from Brazil for Oscar 2023. If you haven’t watched it yet, run to the cinemas so you don’t miss the engaging story of the Martins Family.
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The article above was edited by Isadora Noronha.
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