Brazilian Cinema Award: Bolsonaro and Lula, even far away, are protagonists

On the red carpet, it was already clear that the weather would warm up at the 21st ceremony for the Brazilian Cinema Grand Prix, at Cidade das Artes, in Rio de Janeiro. Less than two months before the presidential elections, it was expected that the political discussion would be present at the awards, one of the main ones in the national film industry. But perhaps what was surprising was the vehemence and frequency of anti-Bolsonaro speeches on and off stage.

Historically linked to the left, the artistic class was there in force – and willing to make itself heard.
“What do I think of the artists who defend Bolsonaro? I just don’t understand. There’s no way,” summarized Claudia Abreu, one of the nominees for the supporting actress award. “Making cinema in Brazil today is a very big challenge, we suffer a lot of sabotage, but we are resisting”, she said.

Accompanied by his wife, Giovanna Ewbank (one of many there to opt for red when dressing), Bruno Gagliasso was more, errr, well… he was more emphatic in his speech. “These shits pass and the culture stays”, said the actor, when asked about “what he thinks” of the current cultural scene in the country. These shits are leaving now,” added Gagliasso, who avoids naming the president: “We can’t name the abominable.”

Bárbara Paz also managed to get her message across without giving any name to the horse. “This government is not even worth commenting on. Does anyone believe that it is really not against culture?”, wanted to know the actress and director, showing that she followed the Flow Podcast = (or its repercussion) in which Bolsonaro was interviewed, this Tuesday thursday (9). In the chat, he said he was not an enemy of culture and again criticized the Rouanet Law.”

This was the mood before the ceremony began. “We are back! We still have culture and we are still resistance. We can and have to do much more. Now we have to go to the streets”, urged Cacá Diegues at the end of a ceremony that began with Silvero Pereira, presenter from the night to alongside Camila Pitanga, singing three songs. At the end of Belchior’s “Subject of Luck”, he “striked the pose” and threw an ‘L’ for Lula into the single light cannon, focused on him.

Ready. It was the cue for Camila – the audience – to let go. “We want Lula again”, sang the actress, in the same rhythm of the line “last year I died, but this year I don’t die”, the best known of Belchior’s hit. The people who filled the Cidade das Artes began to chant the most well-known pro-Lula “war cry”. “Stand up, you guys. Stand up! Show the audience!”, Pitanga cheered up.

Two shouts of “Bolsonaro out!” were heard right away, and Camila joked: “I don’t even say his name anymore.. come on, the vote is secret”, he joked, keeping an eye on the clock – there were still almost two hours left before an award ceremony, whose atmosphere of fervor politician was present from the first minute.