Back in movie theaters, the traditional It’s All True festival enters its 28th edition featuring 72 documentary productions from 34 countries. The festival, which is completely free, will be held between the 13th and 23rd of April in six movie theaters in São Paulo and in three theaters in Rio de Janeiro.
The exhibition is characterized by the variation of techniques and themes. In this year’s edition, for example, there are films that cover everything from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to indigenous regions threatened by drug trafficking and mining in Brazil.
There are also biographical films such as those that approach the life of Paulo César Farias, PC Farias, who was treasurer of the then presidential candidate Fernando Collor de Mello, and the trajectory of actor Michael J. Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 29.
“The festival does not have a thematic axis, but one of the themes that marks the international scene is the rise of anti-democratic forces in the world, whether explicitly or more implicitly as forms of control, or hyper-surveillance, as we live today, in addition to of the strength of fake news”, said Amir Labaki, founding director of the festival, in an interview with Brazil Agency. “Another characteristic that is not of theme, but of form, is that we have a very marked use of archival materials, in a less naive way than was done in the past”, he added.
Another feature of the show this year is the greater presence of female filmmakers. “The festival has always been concerned with the issue of diversity and having greater representation of female, LGTQIA+ and Afro-Brazilian filmmakers. This year, for example, we have a majority of female filmmakers in the international competition”, said the festival director, in a press conference held at Itaú Cultural, in São Paulo.
The exhibition will open on April 12th, in São Paulo, with the presentation of the film Subject, by Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall, which discusses ethics in the art of documentary filmmaking. The film explores the change in the lives of people who participated in famous documentaries such as The Tahrir Square It is At the Capture of the Friedmans. In Rio de Janeiro, the opening session is scheduled for April 13 and will present 1968 – A Year in the Lifeby Eduardo Escorel, which is based on the diary lostwritten by his sister Silvia.
This is the first edition of the festival since the beginning of the new coronavirus pandemic. All films will be presented in person, although some titles can also be shown on digital platforms.
Previous Years-2022 – Photo: It’s All True/Disclosure – It’s All True/Disclosure
At Sesc Digital, two films from the Mostra Foco Latino-Americano will be shown: Silent Beauty It is Montevideo hot club. The Itaú Cultural platform will present seven of the short films in the Brazilian competition. “We will continue to take care of ourselves and grieve for the losses we have had [por causa da pandemia]but we will continue to survive and do our best for Brazilian culture, just as we did during this period, against everything and everyone”, said Labaki.
In addition to the competitive screenings, the festival’s special cycles will honor two great filmmakers: Humberto Mauro (1897-1983), who is considered the pioneer of Brazilian cinema, and Jean-Luc Godard (1930-2022), known mainly for being one of the founders of the Nouvelle Vague movement. In the case of Humberto Mauro, ten of his films and two documentaries on this period of Brazilian production will be presented.
In the cycle dedicated to Godard, which has the support of the French Embassy in Brazil, eight episodes of his series will be shown Film Story(s). “It is not a history of cinema with a historical or didactic purpose. Perhaps it is Godard’s most poetic and delicate work, talking about how the history of cinema touched his sensibility. And it is perhaps one of Godard’s lesser-known works in Brazil”, said Labaki, at the press conference for the festival’s presentation.
In addition to the documentary films, the festival will also present the 20th edition of the International Documentary Conference, between April 13th and 14th, at the Cinemateca Brasileira, in São Paulo. There will be a cycle of lectures and a masterclass with filmmaker Cristiano Burlan, who will present his new documentary, Antunes Filho, From the Heart to the Eye, during the show. O masterclass will air on the 16th of April.
The It’s All True Festival is recognized by the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of the United States and automatically qualifies its winning films for registration in the Oscar competition in the categories of best Brazilian and international documentary and best documentary short.
The festival program and more details about the event can be consulted at site of the event.
