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
