"The great thing about Jorge Amado's novel
is that Tieta does not return for revenge but to be loved."
Tieta do Agreste
is Diegues's first encounter with Brazil's legendary Sonia
Braga on screen. Friends for many years, the actress asked
Diegues to direct having been given the rights to his book by
Jorge Amado.
In a career of 35 years as both director and
producer, his motivation has always been his profound interest
in the Brazilian soul. Xica da Silva, one of Brazil's biggest
ever box-office successes, examined the racial mix of Brazilian
society; Bye Bye Brazil presented a country ever subject
to transformation and upheaval.
Carlos Diegues has always been at the centre
of cultural debate in Brazil, and like the books of Jorge Amado,
his films are marked by strong female characters. He says: "I
see only one hope for the Brazilian film industry: to be Brazilian.
We must make something that only we know how to make. Otherwise,
there is no point in us producing films.
What was it like working for the first
time on a literary adaptation?
At the beginning, I was very inhibited. At
home as a child, we lived and breathed Brazilian literature which
means I always had a quasi-religious respect for it. Amado has
always said that he likes my films. I think this is because they
have a lot in common with Amado's world, marked by a type of drama
which focuses more on characters than on plot and also because
they involve the search for the Brazilian soul.
In the book, Leonora leaves with Tieta
whereas, in the film, she stays on happily with Ascânio.
What brought about this change?
I consider Tieta to be Jorge Amado's most
feminist book, in that all the action is recounted from the viewpoint
of the female characters. That is why I find the way the book
ends very pessimistic, all the women lose out. I wanted Leonora
at least to achieve her aim of love. I consulted Jorge Amado and
he agreed to the change. It was the very first thing I did with
the script. Leonora could not end up like that - love also had
to be achieved, won and regained.
You have always been aware of the reality
of Brazil. Do you think Tieta is relevant to the country today?
The characters in the film reflect an essentially
contemporary anxiety - the problem of living and surviving amongst
so many contradictions. Sant'Ana do Agreste is a very clear metaphor
for the Brazilian condition: everyone is lying all the time. And
although the film does not discuss specific aspects of modern
Brazil, it does present an image of the historical contradictions,
such as progress and backwardness, physical and moral violence.
Where do you place Tieta in your work
as a whole?
When I make a film, I don't think much about
my previous ones and I don't have any specific theory about what
I'm doing. Each film is a new adventure and must be seen as such,
although the basis is always my curiosity in relation to a particular
aspect of Brazilian life. I believe Tieta to be my best
film because it brings together certain ideas I have about a film
as a show.
In an increasingly international climate,
isn't it unfortunate to produce a film so unashamedly anchored
in the national culture?
On the contrary, I find it strange that my
authorial need coincides at present with the needs of the world
market. With the American film industry's overwhelming monopoly
on the world, people are more curious to see different cinema,
which explains, for example, the success of Chinese films recently.
I think there is only one hope for Brazilian cinema: to be Brazilian.
If it tries to copy or be like world cinema, it will lose out.
| 1959 |
Fuga |
(short feature) |
| 1960 |
Brasilia |
(short feature) |
| 1961 |
Domingo |
(short feature) |
| 1962 |
Escola de samba |
(short feature) |
| 1964 |
Ganga Zumba |
|
| 1966 |
A grande cidade |
|
| 1967 |
Oito universitarios |
(short feature) |
| 1969 |
Os herdeiros |
|
| 1971 |
Receita de futebol |
(short feature) |
| 1972 |
Quando o carnaval chegar |
|
| 1973 |
Joana Francesca |
|
| 1974 |
Cinema Iris |
(short feature) |
| 1975 |
José Carlos Pace |
(short feature) |
| 1976 |
Xica da Silva |
|
| 1978 |
Chuvas de verão |
|
| 1979 |
Bye Bye Brasil |
|
| 1984 |
Quilombo |
|
| 1985 |
Batalha do alimentação |
(short feature) |
| 1986 |
Batalha do transporte |
(short feature) |
| 1987 |
Um trem para as estrelas |
|
| 1988 |
Dias melhores virão |
|
| 1994 |
Veja esta canção |
|
| 1996 |
Tieta do Agreste |
|
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