The session in the Tiradentes Film Festival square, on Sunday (25), brought together audiences of all ages for the screening of Little Creaturesa feature film by director Anne Pinheiro Guimarães. Set in Brasília in the 1980s, the film follows a mother and two children who arrive in the capital without knowing whether their father will return, in a family drama marked by a childish perspective and the atmosphere of a time before social media.
In the cast, Carolina Dieckmann plays Helena, the mother of André and Dudu, played by young actors Theo Medon and Lorenzo Mello. The film also features Letícia Sabatella, who was in Tiradentes to promote the film.
After critical praise and the award for best film at the Rio Festival, Little Creatures will have its international premiere next week at the Gothenburg Film Festival, in Sweden, where it competes for the Ingmar Bergman Prize.
Theo Medon (L), Lorenzo Melo (C) and Letícia Sabatela at the 9th edition of the Tiradentes Film Festival – Photo: Leo Fontes/Universo Produções
Known to the general public for the soap opera The Adventures of PolianaTheo Medon, now 16 years old, has more than 2 million followers on social media. In an interview with Brazil Agencyhe stated that cinema broadened his perspective on the profession.
“I don’t consider myself an influencer, I consider myself an actor. Social networks are a consequence of work. I try to use them to promote what I do and to spread culture to my generation, because many people don’t have access to festivals, films and this universe”, he said.
Having worked since he was 6 years old, Theo describes his relationship with work as something natural. “I don’t really remember what my life was like before I was an actor. This is ingrained in me. I try not to differentiate between Theo the artist and Theo at home. This lightness only exists because I have a very strong family base, which protects me from market pressures”, he said.
About the experience in Little Creatureshe highlighted the dive into the 1980s. “It was a total immersion. The art direction is one of the highlights of the film. Everything was real, from the tapes in André’s room to the costumes. It transports you to that time”, he said.
For him, the absence of cell phones completely changes the youth experience. “Today André would have more tools to isolate himself. Back then, he needed to go out, meet people. This transforms”, he assesses.
Theo also relates the moment of the film to the recent visibility of Brazilian cinema abroad. “Brazil is going through a beautiful moment, with cinema being seen abroad, with the Oscars, with our artists gaining recognition. Going to Gothenburg now means taking our Brasília, our language, our swagger. And showing that cinema is also a place for young people.”
For Lorenzo Mello, aged 9, the session in the square marked his first experience at the cinema. “It was very emotional to see myself on that giant screen. I never imagined I would be there”, said the child actor, who plays Dudu.
After the film, he says he started watching other productions thinking “about how everything is done behind the cameras”.
Screening of the film Pequenas Criaturas at the 9th edition of the Tiradentes Film Festival – Photo: Leo Lara/Universo Produções
The experience in Tiradentes was also closely monitored by the actors’ mothers, who spoke to the Brazil Agency about the challenges and learnings of seeing children so young in audiovisual.
Rachel Wanderley, Lorenzo’s mother, says that Little Creatures It was his son’s film debut. “I never imagined getting to where we are. We don’t have anyone in the family connected to the area and all of this is very new,” he said.
According to her, the film opened up space for important conversations at home. “It’s not a children’s film. Some situations generated questions, and everything was discussed before, during and after. That’s also part of the experience.”
Simone Fernandes, mother and businesswoman of Theo Medon, assesses that the Brazilian market still needs to advance in the care of children and young people. “When Theo started, everything was new for us. I realized that there was no structured look at young talents. Working with children requires responsibility, and that’s scary, but the artistic return is enormous”, he said.
For Simone, presence at festivals and free sessions is essential for building an audience. “Seeing the film in a square, with the whole family, is very symbolic. The cinema is closer, less distant. People start to see themselves there, whether in front of or behind the cameras.”
With open sessions and a diverse program, the Tiradentes Exhibition reaffirms its role in democratizing access to cinema. Little Creatures leaves the historic city of Minas Gerais taking with it not only the affective memory of a childhood in the 1980s, but also the debate about the presence, care and future of young people in Brazilian cinema, now projected to the world.
Check out the full schedule at official website of the show.
* The reporter traveled at the invitation of the event organizers
