"A powerfully emotive portrait...this seminal film of the [Cinema Novo] movement is as naturalistic and heartwrenchingly earnest as any Vittorio De Sica weepie." — Premiere
Directed by Nelson Pereira dos Santos
A foundational film of Cinema Novo, Vidas Secas follows the struggle of a migrant family for work and dignity in the midst of a devastating drought in Northeastern Brazil. As in the 1938 novel by Graciliano Ramos on which its based, Nelson Pereira dos Santos' adaptation takes up, in turn, the perspective of each family member, including the dog, to build a heart wrenching kaleidoscopic vision of grinding rural poverty, economic injustice and a harsh natural world.
Producer: Luiz Carlos Berreto. Screenwriter: Nelson Pereira dos Santos. Based on the novel by Graciliano Ramos. Cinematographer: Luiz Carlos Barreto, José Rosa. Editor: Rafael Justo. Cast: Atila Iorio, María Ribeiro, Orlando Macedo, Jofre Soares.
35mm, b/w, in Portuguese with English subtitles, 100 min.
