Central Station (1998)
"Central do Brasil" (original title)

An emotive journey of a former school teacher, who write letters for illiterate people, and a young boy, whose mother has just died, in search for the father he never knew.

Director:

Walter Salles

Writers:

Marcos Bernstein, João Emanuel Carneiro,

Stars:

Fernanda Montenegro, Marília Pêra, Vinícius de Oliveira

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 34 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Fernanda Montenegro	...	Isadora
Marília Pêra	...	Irene
Vinícius de Oliveira	...	Josué
Soia Lira	...	Ana
Othon Bastos	...	Cezar
Otávio Augusto	...	Pedrão
Stela Freitas	...	Yolanda
Matheus Nachtergaele	...	Isaías
Caio Junqueira	...	Moisés
Socorro Nobre	...	Dora's Client
Manoel Gomes	...	Dora's Client
Roberto Andrade	...	Dora's Client
Sheyla Kenia	...	Dora's Client
Malcon Soares	...	Dora's Client
Maria Fernandes	...	Dora's Client

Storyline

Dora, a dour old woman, works at a Rio de Janeiro central station, writing letters for customers and mailing them. She hates customers and calls them 'trash'. Josue is a 9-year-old boy who never met his father. His mother is sending letters to his father through Dora. When she dies in a car accident, Dora takes Josue and takes a trip with him to find his father.

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Plot Keywords:

letter | teacher | brazil | wine | on the road | 

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Taglines:

He was looking for the father he never knew. She was looking for a second chance.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Sony Pictures Classics

Country:

Brazil France

Language:

Portuguese German

Release Date:

20 November 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Central Station

Filming Locations:

Arcoverde, State of Pernambuco, Brazil

Box Office

Budget:

$2,900,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£84,170 (UK) (12 March 1999)

Gross:

$5,595,428 (USA) (9 July 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Audiovisual Development Bureau, Ministerio da Cultura, BEI Comunicações, Bahiatursa

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Fernanda Montenegro set up her table at Central Station, real people approached her to write letters for them. Some of these real talks were incorporated by director Walter Salles and appear in the movie.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dora's Client: [dictating a letter] My darling, My heart belongs to you. No matter what you've done, I still love you. I love you. While you're locked in there all those years, I'll be locked up out here, waiting for you.

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Connections

Referenced in The Other Side of the Street (2004)

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Soundtracks

"Ruínas da Babilônia"
Written by Fauzi Beydoun
Performed by Tribo de Jah

User Reviews

There are movies and there are MOVIES!!

I was surprised when I first saw Central do Brasil. First, because, living in Brasil, I have had the chance to see the rise and fall of our movie production. Suddenly, a powerful cinematographic milestone comes as a delightful surprise to movie lovers down here. A few things must be said: it's pretty obvious that Central do Brasil is too much of a real and daring movie for the Academy. It's almost a relief that it didn't get any Oscars, but was praised all over the world, winning more than 50 ( !!!) prizes in Europe, Asia and Americas. For those who find it boring, it's time to reavaluate your concepts on what good cinema is. Stop seeing The Patriots and Independence Days that infect America's so-called Industry, and try to research a little bit more on sense and sensibility!!