Zuza Homem de Mello
The special documentary celebrates Elis Regina's 75th birthday and makes a parallel between Elis' extremely prevailing thoughts with those of João Marcello Bôscoli, Pedro Camargo Mariano and Maria Rita, her children, answering the same questions in the present time. All three talk about their childhood, their relationship with Elis and her artistic career.
What is the influence of Jazz on Brazilian music and the influence of Brazilian music on Jazz? The documentary Zuza Homem de Jazz draws a parallel between the two universes, featuring the renowned Brazilian musicologist Zuza Homem de Mello as the protagonist. It offers an intimate look at the writer and music journalist and highlights his long connection with Jazz, that dates back to the 1950’s, when Zuza was a student at the Julliard School of Music. The film was also shot in New York, where Zuza meets old friends in the jazz circuit and revisits memorable stories.
A look of the 21st century for one of the most important cultural movements in Brazilian history. The production brings a mix of interviews, concerts, artistic interventions and actors in small sketches. An intersection of the social and artistic contexts of 68 with the current one.
If you thought TV shows in which audiences and juries judge musical acts were a relatively new phenomenon, you'd better think again. In the 1970s, such "festivals" were incredibly popular in Brazil. They were recorded before a live studio audience, and usually featured a number of elimination rounds. They also formed the springboard for the career of many a big-name star, such as Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Roberto Carlos and Gilberto Gil. Appearing on such a program was no cakewalk, however: audiences could be as wild in their condemnation as in their appreciation of an artist. Extensive archive footage (including performances and behind-the-scenes interviews) from a turbulent final of the Festival of Brazilian Popular Music one evening in 1967 paints a fascinating picture, not only of the transformation of Brazilian music into real "festival" music, but also of a society starting to buck against the yoke of military rule.
