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| Cinema da Retomada | |
|---|---|
| Name | Cinema da Retomada |
| Country | Brazil |
| Years active | 1990s–2000s |
| Notable films | Central do Brasil; O Auto da Compadecida; Cidade de Deus; Pixote; O Quatrilho |
| Notable people | Walter Salles; Fernando Meirelles; Carlos Reichenbach; Hector Babenco; Glauber Rocha |
Cinema da Retomada The term refers to the resurgence of Brazilian film production and visibility beginning in the early 1990s after a period of institutional crisis, marked by renewed output, festival presence, and international acclaim. The movement involved filmmakers, producers, festivals, and institutions who reactivated circuits of production and distribution, linking national initiatives with festivals such as Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and Berlin International Film Festival. It reinvigorated careers associated with prior generations like Glauber Rocha, Hector Babenco, and newcomers connected to figures such as Walter Salles and Fernando Meirelles.
The collapse of Petrobras-era funding and the dissolution of agencies during the late 1980s followed policy changes under administrations including José Sarney and Fernando Collor de Mello, precipitating a near halt in features comparable to earlier waves involving Cinema Novo and auteurs like Nelson Pereira dos Santos. Cultural institutions such as the Embassy of France in Brazil partnerships, the Fundação Nacional de Arte, and later the reconstitution of the Ancine framework were decisive. Film festivals including Festival de Brasília do Cinema Brasileiro and Mostra Internacional de Cinema de São Paulo provided exhibition platforms that connected directors to markets such as Unifrance and markets at Toronto International Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival.
Retomada films often combine realist aesthetics with melodramatic structures as seen in narratives engaging urban marginality, migration flows linked to cities like Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Salvador, Bahia. Recurring motifs include social mobility, violence, memory, and identity, with storylines featuring characters situated amid institutions such as Bolsonaro era politics later debated by scholars, and urban infrastructures like favelas and formal settings referenced in Terra em Transe-inspired works. Aesthetic choices often echo technologies such as 35mm, digital intermediates, and collaborations with international post-production houses in Los Angeles and Paris.
Notable films associated with the resurgence include Central do Brasil (Walter Salles), Cidade de Deus (Fernando Meirelles), O Auto da Compadecida (Guel Arraes), O Quatrilho (Fábio Barreto), Pixote (Hector Babenco), and later works by Kleber Mendonça Filho, Anna Muylaert, Beto Brant, and Cao Hamburger. Directors connected to the period include Walter Salles, Fernando Meirelles, Hector Babenco, Glauber Rocha’s heirs like Rogério Sganzerla’s influence, and documentarists such as Eduardo Coutinho and Petra Costa. International collaborators and actors such as Fernanda Montenegro, Wagner Moura, Seu Jorge, and technicians from BBC co-productions appear across key projects.
Policy reforms including the reinstatement of tax incentive schemes like the Lei do Audiovisual and the establishment of funding through institutions such as ANCINE and state-level funds in São Paulo State and Rio de Janeiro State revitalized production lines. Private investment from distributors like RioFilme and partnerships with broadcasters such as TV Globo and Canal Brasil financed features and series, while co-productions with entities in France, United Kingdom, United States, Portugal, and Germany created financing models that enabled international sales to markets like MIPCOM and awards circuits including the Academy Awards and César Awards.
The resurgence elevated Brazilian cinema on the global festival circuit, winning prizes at Cannes Film Festival (e.g., Central do Brasil prize circuits), Berlin International Film Festival, and boosting sales at European Film Market. Brazilian films influenced filmmakers and programmers from Argentina, Mexico, Chile, and Spain, while distribution deals reached platforms such as HBO, Netflix, and arthouse chains like Cinemark and Cinepolis in Latin America and Europe. The movement reshaped national conversations involving cultural policy debates in the Brazilian Congress and contributed to tourism interest in cities featured in films, promoted by municipal cultural departments like those in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, Bahia.
Scholars and critics such as those publishing in journals like Revista de Cinema and contributions from academics at universities like Universidade de São Paulo and Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro debated whether the Retomada privileged marketable narratives over experimental traditions exemplified by Cinema Marginal and Cinema Novo. Debates engaged theorists and critics aligned with institutions such as Cinemateca Brasileira, and commentators from newspapers like Folha de S.Paulo and O Globo questioned the effects of tax incentives on artistic integrity, the role of broadcasters such as TV Globo in shaping content, and tensions between regional cinemas in Northeast Region, Brazil and South/Southeast production hubs.
The era’s legacy persists in the careers of filmmakers who transitioned to international co-productions and streaming commissions with platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and partnerships with festivals such as Festival de Cannes’s Marché du Film, while public policy remains influenced by debates in ANCINE and legislative discussions in Planalto Palace forums. Contemporary developments include a renewed emphasis on indigenous and Afro-Brazilian storytelling with filmmakers such as Beto Brant, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Anna Muylaert, Cao Hamburger, and emerging directors supported by state funds and international residencies at institutions like Berlinale Talents and Sundance Institute.