Sarasota International Film Festival 2020 – Pacarrete
Pacarrete is an old and crazy ballet dancer. Over the years, she works as the teacher for classic dance and ballet in Fortaleza with ambition. After retirement, she goes back to her hometown. However, still undaunted, she decides to give a dance performance, as a gift "to the people", on the eve of the city's 200-year anniversary party. But it seems nobody cares.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Allan Deberton
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
The film is inspired by true events. Pacarrete really existed, she was my neighbor. I was born in Russas, a small town in Brazil. When I discovered myself as an artist I had to ask for help, encouragement. It was very demotivating because it is difficult to make art in small cities in Brazil. I wonder how hard it must have been for Pacarrete, who everyone called crazy. For me, she was crazy about making art. Her story touches me a lot.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
The film talks about growing old, about giving up on dreams, talking about resistance. I like the idea of having a transformed audience, thinking about themselves and how the film was able to change their thinking or make the audience reflect on something important. Pacarrete, the one that existed in Russas, in the interior of Brazil, always wanted to be heard, that's why she screamed so much, to be heard. Yet she died as a crazy, misunderstood artist. I think this film is important because it gives visibility to a forgotten star. There are many great artists who have passed away without spotlights.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Being an artist for me is being able to represent life, people and their stories. Art makes us think, make people smile and be better human beings. Art is culture and culture is what we are. I think artists need to be respected. In Brazil nowadays, the president is against artists. It is very sad and tiring staying always defending ourselves and the importance of arts.
It is very common for those who watch the film to identify themselves in some way. Pacarrete can be your mother, your aunt, your neighbor. The other characters are also easily identifiable characters. It is a universal film, about a different family. The city of Russas can be any other city, like yours.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I love musicals. Movies with big stars like Audrey Hepburn and Jennifer Jones. Sunset Boulevard is a great reference, about an obsolete artist. Pacarrete is also about that. Movies that touch me a lot: My Girl, Little Miss Sunshine, As Good as it gets. I like movies with strong characters, films that talk about love. About resistance. About dreams.
The script went through several treatments, always looking to make the film as simple as possible. The original script was full of flashbacks and had many more characters. It was a dangerous environment. I think it's important that the script is as sincere as possible, without the need to invent the wheel. Samuel Brasileiro, Natália Maia and André Araújo were with me to prepare the script. We also count on the collaboration of Marcos Eugênio and Eleonora Loner as consultants.
Several interviews were made with people who knew Pacarrete. The script tries to be sincere with these memories.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
"The ending is unclassifiable, a vindication of difference as beauty that leaves a sense of wonder — and wondering what this film is all about." - The Hollywood Repórter- Débora Young
“Pacarrete”, Allan Deberton's feature film debut, is a powerful melodrama, starting with Almodovarian colors, lots of music, dancing and delicious sense of humor, and heading towards twilight.” - Revista de Cinema - Maria do Rosário Caetano
"We should thank the films that make us laugh. And also the ones that make us cry. And we should double thank those that make us laugh and cry. It's the case of Pacarrete." - Estadão - Luiz Zanin
"Very beautiful film, with an impressive power, that beats in the heart and talent of its protagonist.” - Adoro Cinema - Francisco Russo
"And it is exactly at the end that the audience realizes that they have witnessed such a deep range of elements and possibilities that every cry in the audience is justified. All bathed by the ugly duckling turned swan and his impressive conductor." - CinePlayers - Francisco Carbone
"The sublime performance of Marcélia Cartaxo will always be the first memory when thinking about this young classic of Brazilian cinema" - Cinema com Crítica
"You can bet right now that we have a classic of Brazilian cinema!" - Vertentes do Cinema- Marcelo Velloso
"Lush" - Cine Eterno – Márcio Picoli
“Pacarrete is beautiful. It is inspiring. It is art. The purest art” - Virgilia Nerd – Bruna Haas Pacheco
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Russas, where we shot the film, don't have a cinema. Pacarrete was filmed in Russas in July 2018 and we showed the film in a public square in December last year. It was very exciting. We put 700 chairs in the square and there would have been 3000 people watching standing. It was incredible to feel the power of cinema and very beautiful that people watched each other in the film, recognizing the city streets. And, above all, to know a little more about Pacarrete, a woman whose story of bravery must be presented.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
A dear audience for our film, I would like everyone to see it.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I would like to commercially launch Pacarrete in the United States. And I'm also open to talking about future projects.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would like to have opportunities to open it in cinemas in the most diverse places. For a director, nothing is more exciting than finding his audience.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
About the end of life and the fulfillment of the dreams we have.
Would you like to add anything else?
Marcélia Cartaxo won Silver Bear - Best Actress at the Berlin Festival for the classic A Hora da Estrela (1986). Despite the grand prize, her career was not good. They said she looks like country people, so she played a lot of domestic servants, something like that. It's unfair because she is an amazing and talented woman. I wrote the script to have her as the protagonist. She had to prepare a lot because she never danced ballet.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
The Best Friend, a feature movie based on my short picture same-named filmed in 2013. And there's another project called The Adoption. We are looking for investors and distributors.
Interview: May 2020
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Pacarrete
Pacarrete is an old and crazy ballet dancer. Over the years, she works as the teacher for classic dance and ballet in Fortaleza with ambition. After retirement, she goes back to her hometown. However, still undaunted, she decides to give a dance performance, as a gift "to the people", on the eve of the city's 200-year anniversary party. But it seems nobody cares.
Length: 1:37:58
Director: Allan Deberton
Producer: Allan Deberton, Ariadne Mazzetti
Writer: Allan Deberton, André Araújo, Samuel Brasileiro, Natália Maia
About the writer, director and producer:
ALLAN DEBERTON is a producer, director and screenwriter. Graduated in with a degree of Cinema Studies at Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF-RJ). He directed some awarded movies, such as Coconut Sweet (2010), The Best Friend (2013), Arthur's Eyes (2016); all of which featured in over 100 national and international film festivals and awarded 49 different awards. In 2014, he took classes with Hollywood’s screenwriter guru, Robert Mackee, at the Globosat Screenwriter’s Program. In 2015, he produced the feature documentary The Other Side of the Atlantic, by Márcio Câmara and Daniele Ellery, released in Habana Film Festival. In 2017, he produced for EBC the TV series Lana & Carol, by Samuel Brasileiro and Natalia Maia; the feature film Eternal Return, by Lília Moema; produced and wrote the lyrics of the show The Hour of the Star - The Musical, based on Clarice Lispector’s book. He is currently scripting his next feature film The Best Friend. In 2018, he produced the feature film Se Arrependimento Matasse, by Lília Moema and co-produced with Globo Filmes the telefilm Baião de Dois. On the theate branch, he has produced shows like, Avenue Q – The Broadway Musical (CE, 2015 and 2016), The Hour of The Star – The Musical (CE, 2017) and Confessed Love (CE, 2014 and 2016), plus the training program Broadway Brazil (2013, 2016, 2017 and 2018) along with the Broadway Dreams Foundation. In 2019, he produced the short film Those Two, by Émerson Maranhão, winner of 16 awards in 34 important festivals. In the same year he premiered his first full-length film, Pacarrete, at the 22nd Shanghai International Film Festival, nominated for the Golden Goblet Awards and winner of 8 Kikitos at the 47th Gramado Film Festival, including Best Picture, Best Picture by Popular Jury, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director. He won the ‘Rajatha Chakoram’ (The Silver Crow Pheasant) award for Best Director at the 24th International Film Festival of Kerala (India). He is currently developing the projects The Best Friend, Like a Kite, ABC Dance and Marcélia.
Journalist, ARIADNE MAZZETTI has been on the Audiovisual Industry for 15 years, working with post-production. She worked with commercial service at TeleImage (Company from the Casablanca group) between 2004 and 2007 and was the commercial manager of Estudios Mega between 2008 and 2011. For seven years, she has been a managing partner at Mistika Post, along with Marcelo Siqueira, Visual Effects Supervisor. Executive producer of the documentary Olhando para as Estrelas (2016), the docuseries O Caso Escola Base (Canal Brasil), and the Reality Show Prova de Noiva (Discovery Home And Health). Co-producer of films, such as Canastra Suja (Caio Soh), Motorrad (Vicente Amorim), Por Trás do Céu (CaioSoh) and the animation film Lino (Rafael Ribas). She’s also a co-producer of the film Pequeno Segredo, feature film by David Schurmann, Brazil’s nomination for a spot at The Oscars in 2016; and Pacarrete (Allan Deberton), the grand winner of the 2019 Gramado Film Festival. Since 2017 she has been part of the Direction of UNINFRA - União Nacional de Infraestrutura Cinematografica, an association that defends the interests of Audiovisual Infrastructure.
Key cast: Marcélia Cartaxo (Pacarrete), João Miguel (Miguel), Soia Lira (Maria), Zezita Matos (Chiquinha), Samya de Lavor (Michelle), Débora Ingrid (Diana), Edneia Tutti Quinto (Tetê), Rodger Rogério (Zacarias)
Looking for: sales agents, distributors, film festival directors, buyers, producers, journalists
Facebook: Pacarrete
Instagram: @pacarreteofilme
Hashtags used: #pacarrete, #allan, #deberton, #marcelia, #cartaxo, #ballet, #musical, #Brazil, #brazilian, #movie, #dance, #joao, #Miguel, #dream, #theater
Website: www.deberton.com
Other: IMDb
Funders: Brazilian Film Agency (ANCINE), BRDE, FSA