Archive of films Maids / Domésticas, o filme
Brazil
2001, 90 min
Section:
Another View
Year: 2001
Synopsis
A revealing comedy from contemporary Sčo Paulo which describes the everyday lives of maids who differ in the colour of their skin, their character and approach to their arduous lives. The film is adapted from the successful stage play by Renata Melo which itself was based on her own sociological research involving interviews with a number of maids conducted over several months. The five heroines speak directly into the camera as if answering a questionnaire: the young Quitéria moves from place to place because she always causes some kind of trouble; the self-confident Roxane wants to become a model; the dispirited Créo spends all her free time searching for her daughter; the young Raimunda wants a man who would desire her not just for sex but also for marriage, and the experienced Cida is trying to discover how to live with her apathetic husband. The film expresses its creators’ understanding of the heroines and their wish that they find some kind of happiness, at least for a while.
About the director
Fernando Meirelles studied architecture and experimented with video during the 1980s. He established himself in television where he made 180 episodes of the children’s series Rá tim bum (1989-90). He founded O2 Films, one of the most successful in Brazil. Co-directed Crazy Boy (1997, with Fabrizia Pinto) and Maids (2000). This year he is making the film City of God with Walter Salles. During the 1990s Nando Olival made around 400 commercials and the short films Day by Day (1997) and The Train Has to Go (1998, O no meio passa un trem) which was filmed in cooperation with F. Meirelles. The pair again teamed up for the comedy Maids (2000). He is currently shooting Love Story Hotel.
About the film
Black & white, 35 mm
Section: | Another View |
---|---|
Director: | Fernando Meirelles, Nando Olival |
Screenplay: | Renata Melo, Fernando Meirelles, Nando Olival, Cecilia Homem de Mello |
Dir. of Photography: | Lauro Escorel |
Music: | André Abujamra |
Editor: | Deo Teixeirea |
Producer: | Andrea Barata Ribeiro |
Production: | O2 Filmes |
Cast: | Claudia Missura, Graziella Moretto, Lena Raque, Olívia Araújo, Renata Melo, Robson Nunes, Tiago Moraes |