Venice’s ‘Manas,’ Backed by Walter Salles and Dardenne Brothers, Debuts Trailer, Bendita Handles Sales (EXCLUSIVE)
The trailer (above) has launched for Marianna Brennand’s “Manas,” which has its world premiere in Venice Days, a sidebar to the Venice Film Festival. Bendita Film Sales is handling world sales on the film, which is backed by award-winning filmmakers Walter Salles and the Dardenne Brothers.
The film is set on the island of Marajó in the Amazon rainforest. Marcielle lives near the riverbank with her father, mother and three siblings. Prompted by her mother’s words, she idolizes her older sister who supposedly escaped her reality by “finding a good man” on the barges that ply the region.
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As Tielle matures, her idealized visions shatter, leaving her trapped between two abusive environments. Increasingly worried about her younger sister and the bleak future they face, she decides to confront the oppressive system that controls her family and the women in their community.
Bendita’s Luis Renart said: “‘Manas’ is a haunting experience. Marianna Brennand has crafted a delicate and absorbing feature debut, directed with a wisdom and strength rarely seen in a first-time filmmaker. We are confident it will deeply surprise and move distributors and programmers worldwide.”
Filmmaker Walter Salles, who is an associate producers on the project, said: “Mariana Brennand’s ‘Manas’ is a brilliant first feature film. The narrative is both sensorial and emotional, the actors are gripping, the direction is inspired, precise and devoid of sentimentalism. Mariana offers us the possibility to plunge in a world we haven’t seen before, bringing light to its inner demons. A great debut by a very talented director.”
Cannes Palme d’Or winning director Luc Dardenne, who is also an associate producer on the film, said: “‘Manas’ is a film that deeply moved me. Its exploration of the life of a young girl and her family in the northeast of Brazil unveils the existence of a community, a society where the protracted history of male dominance is violently etched onto the bodies of women. This debut film by director Mariana Brennand is, in my view, marked by the intensity and precision of her vision, as well as her deep connection with her characters—qualities that signal the emergence of a truly remarkable filmmaker.”
In a statement, Brennand said: “It was during research for a documentary in the remote villages of the Amazon rainforest that I met women who had endured immense trauma since a tender age, suffering sexual abuse inside their homes while also being sexually exploited on commercial barges with hardly any chance to escape. Unfortunately, most of us women have a story of abuse, be it of sexual, moral, or psychological violence, that has left deep scars and trauma.
“The Me Too and other women’s rights movements have encouraged and allowed us to break the silence and expose abusers around the world. But what about these invisible women we do not even know exist? Through ‘Manas,’ I want to give voice to these women and girls who would never be heard otherwise, honoring the stories they shared with me. I see cinema as a compelling vehicle for social and political transformation and hope ‘Manas’ we’ll be able to mobilize viewers’ empathy, breaking the enormous taboo surrounding this difficult reality that affects all of us women.”
The screenplay is by Felipe Sholl, Marcelo Grabowsky, Brennand, Antonia Pellegrino, Camila Agustini and Carolina Benevides.
The cast is led by Jamilli Correa (Marcielle), Fátima Macedo (Danielle), R?mulo Braga (Marcílio), Dira Paes (Aretha), Emily Pantoja (Carol), Samira Eloá (Cynthia), Gabriel Rodrigues (Danilio) and Enzo Maia (Marcéu).
The lead production company is Inquietude. The co-production companies are Globo Filmes, Canal Brasil, Pródigo and Fado Filmes.
The producers are Benevides and Brennand. The executive producers are Benevides and Marcelo Maximo.
The associate producers are Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne of Les Films du Fleuve, Delphine Tomson, Dominique Welinski, Marcelo Pedrazzi, Braulio Mantovani, Sholl, Grabowsky, Maximo, Salles at VideoFilmes and Maria Carlota Bruno.
The film was produced with the support of Ancine, FSA-BRDE and República Portuguesa Cultura – ICA.
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