PRESS
RELEASE; film festival success
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INDIEWIRE & THE HOT BUTTON REVIEWS
ACHEIUSA REVIEW & INTERVIEW (English)
by Neusa Martinez (Brazil on TV) www.acheiusa.com
- entrevistas
Portugues
The Girls From Ipanema enchanted Australians,
Americans...
" On the second half of April, during Palm
Beach International Film Festival, in Florida, there was the world
premier of the movie “Girls From Ipanema”. The movie was
shot by the young Australian movie-maker, Wendy Dent. She owns a respectful
resume in which there are 21 independent movies such as, dramas, comedies
and documentaries. They were all written, directed, produced and edited
by her.
As a child, Wendy used to write poetry and stories; from 12 to 15
years-old, she was an intern in a theater group for kids; at 17, she
started teaching acting classes; from 18 to 21, she developed some
works at Melbourne’s theater rooms as an actress, producer and
writer. She graduated high-school with merit’s honors, receiving
because of that, many concessions from the Australian government to
her academic and artistic accomplishments. In 1996, she moved to Sydney
and started studying movie-making. Last year, she took part in Festival
in Greece, Germany, Czech Republic, Belgium, Canada, Bahamas and USA
with the documentary “Kissed by a Crocodile”. In Worldfest
Houston, in Texas, she won the award on “Best Documentary on
Entertainment”, that open ways to her also to get a Gold Award
as “Best Documentary”, with the movie Girls from Ipanema.
We exchanged some emails and I scheduled to meet her at the premier
of Girls From Ipanema at Palm Beach Festival. I invited a friend and
we went together. She was overcome by a great joy when she saw us:
we were the first Brazilians to arrive! The funniest thing was when
she told us how she had the idea of making that movie. It was like
that: she was dating a guy from Rio that couldn’t take his eyes
of the girls at the beach. So, she started observing that “carioca”
girls too. She was paying attention on how the bikinis where, the
way they walked, the way they played in the sand…
But getting back to the Palm Beach Festival, she was a little nervous
because it would be her first movie to be shown to an audience and
also her first time to watch it in THE big screen. The movie is great!
All the Girls from Ipanema are present, in the movie, including the
original one, Helô Pinheiro that gave a humorous statement.
There are also interviews with a model “wanna-be”, a designer,
a bikini maker, and an actress/model from Mega Models and a girls
that lives in the slums at Rocinha. There are still interviews with
bikini designers and a model’s head hunter. Besides having scenes
that were shot in Rio (“The Wonderful City”, as it’s
called), Wendy managed to break in at Fashion Rio and captured images
of the super models Naomi Campbell and Gisele Bundchen.
It is definitely worth reading this interview with the movie-maker
that captured the soul of Ipanema on screen.
This article is completed by the interview I made, over the phone
with Helô Pinheiro, the inspiring muse of the song “The
Girl From Ipanema”, by Tom Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes.
AcheiUSA - Tell us about how the invitation
for the world release of your film Girls From Ipanema in the West
Palm Beach Film Festival, Florida happened.
Wendy Dent – I had already taken part of that
Festival with my last movie “Kissed by a Crocodile”, which
was popular with audience and critics alike. By then, I had already
begun shooting Girls From Ipanema in Brazil, so when I was in Palm
Beach last year I had mentioned my upcoming work with the organizers
of the festival they asked me to let them know as soon as the movie
was finished. Also I thought that Florida would be a great place to
premiere the film in the US due to the beach lifestyle and the massive
presence of the Brazilian community here. It was very important to
me that the people would appreciate and understand a little of the
soul and style of the documentary. Also, the Palm Beach International
Film Festival’s director and organizer are always willing to
support upcoming films and talents; they’d made sure to help
me out so that I could be present this year. So, in February I sent
them a rough cut, they’ve loved it and included it on the festival’s
program. I was thrilled of course - but I’d have very little
time to finalize the “Girls From Ipanema”. For you to have
an idea, I finished editing it just before hopping on the plane to
the US for its world premiere!
AcheiUSA - Some days later, this same movie was awarded the
Gold Award in the Festival of the Worldfest Houston as the best documentary
of the year. How was that for you?
Wendy - Winning a Gold Award in Worldfest Houston
to me is a great honor, because this festival is actually said to
be the biggest film festival in the world in terms of the numbers
of entries it receives (over 4500) and is the third oldest film festival
in the US. It is the second year that I’m running and being awarded
at Worldfest Houston. Last year, Kissed By A Crocodile, won the gold
award for Best Entertainment Documentary. The Worldfest Houston means
lots of fun because it is full of independent film makers from all
around the world, and I love the sense of humor the festival has -
the slogan this year was 'one of the few Texas festivals that doesn't
involve livestock!' They also wrote on their posters 'see what films
are made of when they are not made of money'. Many of the big name
directors, such as Steven Spielberg, early in their careers were awarded
at this festival. So - Thank you Worldfest Houston and Palm Beach
International Film Festival for the recognition of Girls From Ipanema!
AcheiUSA - What was the impact of the film
Girls from Ipanema in these festivals?
Wendy - WOW - seeing the reaction caused in Florida
really touched my heart. The audience was really excited and intrigued.
Many Brazilians felt homesick after watching it! After the screenings
many people came to talk to me to tell me that the movie is joyful
and of how much they had enjoyed the girls, how charming and personable
they were. One person wrote me saying: “It is a nice long conversation
with some girls from a very different culture”. One Brazilian
told me that this is the first documentary on Rio that has really
captured its essence and soul. He wanted me to send it to the ambassador
for Brazil in the US. So many people seemed to be really entranced
by the film, seduced by the romantic imagery of the sunsets over Ipanema
edited to the simple sway of a quiet Bossa Nova… Many of them
laughed at all the cheeky sense of humor and gasped at the brazen
beauty of the girls in their bikinis. That is what a film-maker loves:
to see an audience excited by what they are seeing.
AcheiUSA - I was impressed to learn that you have already
visited 35 countries. Would this search for other cultures something
to enrich even more your work?
Wendy - I have traveled widely through the Pacific,
Europe, Asia and the Americas, and hope some day soon to be able to
explore Africa and the Middle East also. I think that those experiences,
of finding amazing people from formidable cultures have really enriched
my film work. On those places, I have met people that I found worth
it of sharing with the world. Someone told me once that film-makers
either find the drama in real life or the real life in drama. I have
a background in drama, and for me documentaries are another form of
Storytelling - finding the drama in real life.
AcheiUSA - Before you visited Brazil for the first time, what
did you know about this country?
Wendy - I had seen images of the Christo Redentor
and thought “what a stunning city!” But I think that unfortunately,
like most people, I imagined all of Brazil to be like the Amazon!
And I thought that all Brazilians could dance samba! (laughs). Long
after that, I found out more about the country and realized that Brazil
was a colorful, bold and exciting place, full of passionate people
and wonderful rhythms and breathtaking beaches! And as I love music,
dancing and beaches - I thought to myself: “This is a place I
have to visit!”
AcheiUSA - What inspired you to work on
this documentary in Rio de Janeiro?
Wendy - For a month I lived with a Brazilian guy in a shack in the
woods on the outskirts of Rio. It was a place where we were surrounded
by monkeys and butterflies but also spiders, which I am terrified
of! So we would often escape to Ipanema beach. When we got to the
city I found myself wanting to escape back to the forest because of
the fear the city caused me. I felt like I was running from one to
the other in search for a refuge! But, I loved Ipanema beach, I loved
looking at the bikinis and beautiful people on the beach, just as
much as the guy I was with did. He could take his eyes off of the
girls! There they were, the beautiful girls from Ipanema from that
famous song. So I thought it would be a highly marketable idea, and
an excellent way to explore and express my fascination at the juxtaposition
of glamour and grit, of the sun, surf, sex and samba and the bravery
of this wonderful city right in the middle of so many social problems.
The differences between my culture and Brazil’s even having the
beach scenery in common were the beginning of many long conversations
with my friends. Then it was time for the Fashion Week in Rio, and
Naomi Campbell was on the 'catwalk' in Brazilian bikinis and on the
cover of the papers, I said to the guy I was staying with 'let’s
go to Fashion Week! I will tell them I am going to make a film about
fashion on the beach!' He didn’t believe I could do that, but
they welcomed me, gave us front row seats to the bikini show. It all
started there...
AcheiUSA - Glauber Rocha, one of the most
famous Brazilian film makers, used to say “a camera in your hands
and an idea in your head.” Can we say this film was made that
way?
Wendy - Absolutely! The camera is a way to express
and share and provoke ideas, and for me it is interesting to think
through that quote on how ideas direct the camera just as well as
the camera directs the ideas. What a wonderful quote! I also love
another quote I have heard was from a Brazilian film-maker I met at
the Berlin Film Festival. He told me: "Shoot films, not people!"
AcheiUSA – In Rio, were you robbed or had any assault
attempts?
Wendy – I was often very afraid. Once, I saw
a dead man on the street and that shocked me a lot. I was never assaulted,
but there was once where some people tried to rob me and I found myself,
several times, in some very difficult and dangerous situations. I
have traveled a lot before through many countries, but I’ve never
felt the same degree of fear I have felt in Brazil - even though I
was usually out in the city or with other people.
AcheiUSA - How was your experience of filming
at Rocinha Slum?
Wendy - I felt very safe and welcome filming in Rocinha,
thanks to the help of my Marcelo Armstrong and Ana Claudia from the
Favela Tours and Copa Roca and of course because of the friendliness
of Lisiane, a gorgeous girl from Rocinha that is also in Girls From
Ipanema. Her family had even invited me to spend Christmas with them
and I would have loved that! I was so sorry I had to return to Australia
but I had to keep editing the film. I have plans to return to Rio
de Janeiro at the end of this year for Christmas and stay on to Carnival.
So, my many “Carioca” friends made me feel like family,
made me feel like a Carioca. I miss them SO much! Well, when I was
alone in Rocinha I felt a little more unsure of myself, and when they
there with me they were scared of being there. I certainly remember
the day in which they darted to the ground pulling me with them when
they heard fireworks (thinking at first it was gunfire). So I was
careful and tried to be considerate of who I was filming and where,
because I didn’t want to upset anyone. But being in Rocinha was
a great experience.
AcheiUSA - What did you think about the “wealth”
and “poverty” coexisting side by side in the Marvelous City?
Wendy - In Australia we have a very large middle
class, and few people are very rich or very poor, and where there
are great differences in wealth, the people are generally far removed
from each other. That in Rio de Janeiro is so much different!!! I
found that to be very intriguing and I thought it was a great topic
to explore in the film. I like the fact that at the beach everyone
is together, people say that there is no segregation but I think the
different cultures of the posts, the different fashions are really
a kind of segregation on the beach. Am I really cool enough to join
the 'beautiful people' on “Posto 9”? All of a sudden I feel
I have to have a fashionable bikini, to position myself in a class
group, that I never had to think about before. I just had to be myself
and wear what I like and go anywhere without any specific identity
ascribed to me because of what I wear or where I am. In Australia
there’s no such thing and the attitude in Australia is that everyone
should be equal everywhere. People who have wealth I do not think
flaunt it nearly as much in Australia. It is considered good to be
average, to be middle class and people that are higher class tend
to down play it and disguise it. Another funny thing that I find amazing
in Rio is that the shantytowns to me seem to have the best real estate,
the hills with a view!! In Australia the higher, the land it tends
to be more expensive. So, I find it very ironic when I hear that the
most expensive streets are the lowest ones here! I think perhaps the
close proximity of 'rich' and 'poor' makes Rio de Janeiro a very interesting
'melting pot' of people and cultures and backgrounds but of course
is also potentially a very volatile mix too!
AcheiUSA - How was your meeting with Helo Pinheiro? Did you
know that she was the one who inspired Jobim and Vinícius?
Wendy - I had heard from friends in Brazil that Helo
Pinheiro inspired the song that fascinated me because I had never
known the song was written about a particular girl. And so, from Australia
I researched on the internet and before going to Brazil to finish
my shoot, I contacted her. She was very happy to be in the film. But,
she is so busy; getting time with her to interview her was a challenge!
But, it was worth it. And I loved meeting her, she is so charming
and funny and charismatic, I can see why she is so loved by many people.
She really brightens the documentary and having her input was invaluable.
AcheiUSA - What are the Australian’s
girls like?
Wendy - Good question! I have to spend a little more
time on the beach in Australia I think! On the beach, Australian girls
commonly like to go topless, but they rarely wear bikinis anywhere
near as skimpy on the lower half as the Brazilian ones! But I find
it hilarious; I have seen Australian girls wearing their underwear,
even skin colored boring cotton underwear, on the beach! Did you know
we had an underwear brand called Rio in Australia? Their ad on TV
was 2 Australian girls walking along Ipanema beach and all the guys
on the beach are staring only at the “Carioca” girls. So,
the 2 gorgeous Australian girls, wearing pretty summer dresses, just
pull off their dresses and walk down the beach in their 'Rio' brand
lingerie! I always remember that ad when I am at Ipanema. n all day.
So, you can see the beach cultures and issues of identity are very
different. Definitely if you wear a Brazilian bikini on the beach
in Australia, every guy will be looking at you!
AcheiUSA - What is your opinion about the commercial movies nowadays?
Wendy - I love a lot of commercial movies, and I
really enjoy watching Hollywood studio films as well as independent
films from the world cinema. But sometimes I find the formulaic quality
of commercial films annoying, and documentary is often refreshing
because the little idiosyncrasies of people and of cultures. It shows
the way people see themselves, feel or react to them. It’s often
so touching to hear a spontaneous interview that is of course by its
nature usually so much more real and authentic than an acting performance.
One thing I like about Girls From Ipanema is that I think it is quite
a commercial documentary, a very marketable idea and it appeals to
its audience because of its ironic and artistic style. It also challenges
and confronts its audience a little. "
Palm Beach International Film Festival
opening night & 'Girls From Ipanema' director portrait session
with Wendy Dent, photos by Ray Mickshaw
FULL
NEWS RELEASE; Film festival success of
Girls
From Ipanema
&
Kissed By A Crocodile
