Madame Satã (2002)

Director:

Karim Ainouz

Writers:

Karim Ainouz
Sérgio Machado
(more)

Release Date:

8 November 2002 (Brazil)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Music

Plot:

Loose portrait of João Francisco dos Santos, also known as Madame Satã, a sometime chef, transvestite, lover, father, hero and convict from Rio de Janeiro.

Plot Keywords:

Prostitute | Transvestite | Lover | Baby | Brazilian

Awards:

21 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Lázaro Ramos	...	João Francisco dos Santos / Madame Satã
Marcelia Cartaxo	...	Laurita
Flavio Bauraqui	...	Tabu
Fellipe Marques	...	Renatinho
Renata Sorrah	...	Vitória
Emiliano Queiroz	...	Amador
Giovana Barbosa	...	Firmina
Ricardo Blat	...	José
Guilherme Piva	...	Álvaro
Marcelo Valle	...	Delegado
Floriano Peixoto	...	Gregório
Gero Camilo	...	Agapito
Gláucio Gomes	...	Gordo no Danúbio (Fat man)
Orã Figueiredo	...	Policial
Karine Teles
Sacha Amback	...	Sambista Danúbio 1
Marcos Roberto Correia	...	Sambista Danúbio 2
Edson Menezes	...	Sambista Danúbio 3
Mauro Marques	...	Garçom Danúbio (Waiter)
George Bezerra	...	Ajudante Amador
Suzana Sanchez	...	Harpista cabaret lux
Ubiratan Rodrigues	...	Violinista cabaret lux
Lincoln Oliveira	...	Porteiro high life (Doorkeeper)
Anderson Lugão	...	Cliente Laurita
Luís Ronaldo	...	Vendedor de cocadas
Valente	...	Carcereiro
Eduardo Coutinho	...	Voz do juiz (voice)
Alexandre Saggese	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
Ana Paula Cardoso	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
Flavia Pamplona	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
Hsu Bun Lung	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
João Soares	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
João Soncini	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
Isabela Monteiro de Castro	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
Leandro Freitas	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
Licko Tuale	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
Marcelo Melo	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
Marcos Pedroso	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
Nathalio Maria	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
Nino Rodrigues	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
Paula Damasceno	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
Rosa Duat	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
Samuel Pinheiro Guimarães	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
Sandro Matos	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
Sophie Bernard	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
Olga Machado	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
William Anaki	...	Frequentador Danúbio (Customer)
Aluizio Abranches	...	Participante do concurso de fantasia (as Aluisio Abranches)
Bruno Balthazar	...	Participante do concurso de fantasia
Cláudio Assis	...	Participante do concurso de fantasia
Erik Henckel	...	Participante do concurso de fantasia
Erlon Cherque	...	Participante do concurso de fantasia
Giovanni Garça	...	Participante do concurso de fantasia
Márcio André da Silva	...	Participante do concurso de fantasia
Roberto Iglesias	...	Participante do concurso de fantasia
Wanderley Nascimento	...	Participante do concurso de fantasia

Directed by
Karim Ainouz

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Karim Ainouz
Marcelo Gomes
Sérgio Machado
Mauricio Zacharias

Produced by
Marc Beauchamps	....	producer
Laurent Bocahut	....	associate producer
Philip Brooks	....	associate producer
Isabel Diegues	....	producer
Vincent Maraval	....	producer
Gustavo Pizzi	....	assistant producer
Mauricio Andrade Ramos	....	producer
Donald Ranvaud	....	producer
Juliette Renaud	....	producer
Walter Salles	....	producer
Dominique Welinski	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Sacha Amback
Marcos Suzano

Cinematography by
Walter Carvalho

Film Editing by
Isabela Monteiro de Castro

Casting by
Luiz Henrique Nogueira

Production Design by
Marcos Pedroso

Set Decoration by
Jorge de Tharso

Costume Design by
Rita Murtinho

Makeup Department
Sonia Penna	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Marcello Ludwig Maia	....	production manager (as Marcello Maia)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Daniela Braga	....	first assistant director
Anne Pinheiro Guimarães	....	second assistant director
Ana Ribeiro	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Marcus Figueiroa	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Aloisio Compasso	....	sound
Marcel Costa	....	boom operator
Dominique Hennequin	....	sound mixer
Leandro Lima	....	boom operator
Stéphane Thiébaut	....	sound re-recording mixer
Christophe Vingtrinier	....	sound mixer
Waldir Xavier	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Sergio Farjalla Jr.	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Manuel Aguas	....	first assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alex Brollo	....	assistant costume designer
Valeria Stefani	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Marcelo Pedrazzi	....	assistant editor
Alexandre Saggese	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Daniela Carvalho	....	post-production office production assistant
Erica Coelho	....	set manager
Cindy Duarte	....	set assistant
Sergio Farjalla Jr.	....	weapons master
Anna Luiza Müller	....	publicist

Thanks
Todd Haynes	....	thanks
Wieland Speck	....	thanks

Production Companies

• VideoFilmes
• Dominant 7
• Lumière
• Wild Bunch

Distributors

• Artkino Pictures (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Mars Distribution (2003) (France) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2003) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Vega Distribution (2005) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Wellspring Media (2003) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Fox Lorber (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Impuls Home Entertainment (2005) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• PRO-FUN media Filmverleih (2005) (Germany) (all media)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

105 min | Argentina:105 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente) | France:97 min (Cannes Film Festival)

Country:

Brazil | France

Language:

Portuguese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA | Hungary:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Canada:18A | France:-12 | Netherlands:16 | USA:Unrated | Mexico:C | Argentina:18 | Brazil:16

Company:

VideoFilmes

Movie Connections:

References The Devil Queen (1974)

Soundtrack:

Mulato Bamba

Brilliant!

I feel proud about the Brazilian cinema of the last years. Although facing many difficulties, mainly financial ones, the Brazilian film-makers are proving that it is possible to make a truly high level cinema here.

"Madame Satã" is just another example of this new Brazilian cinematography. Excellent photography, which really brings to the screen the mood of 30's bars and nightclubs from Lapa (Rio de Janeiro traditional bohemian neighbourhood, known also for its violence). The camera is "drunk" and "high" in many moments, in others is able to show tenderness in an ultra violent and uncontrolable character (the scenes where João Francisco takes care of Laurita's baby). The cast is excellent, with a great merit of young Lázaro Ramos, performing a character that has everything to lead to exageration or to a ridiculous acting; even though, Lázaro manages to bring to life in a realistic way someone who is a homosexual with feminine behaviour in some times and in other times is a scary fighter, who could deal with 3 or 4 opponents bare handed.

The main achievement of the film, though, in my opinion, is that the director wanted to show the personality of João Francisco, not worrying too much in telling a story. The plot is almost absent, we are invited to make part of João Francisco's turbulent, violent and difficult life through Lapa's gethos and bars, dealing with prostitutes, police, thugs and dangerous people. We can understand why Francisco,later called "Madame Satã" lived that way (even though we may not agree with it) , having in one hand the fascination for a fairy tale world of fantasy, with songs in French and taking care of a baby and in the other hand dealt with streetfights, robbery and eventual imprisonments in jail. If it is difficult for someone to be poor, black and homosexual in nowaday's Brazil, imagine in the 30's!

Great movie, great acting, great photography, great editing, the only thing I can do is give it a 10!