Vazante (2017)

Brazil 1821. A rich cattle herder finds out that his wife dies in labor. Forced to live in the property with numerous African slaves, he marries his wife's niece. But he returns to droving, leaving his wife behind alone with the slaves.

Director:

Daniela Thomas

Writers:

Daniela Thomas, Beto Amaral

Stars:

Adriano Carvalho, Luana Nastas, Sandra Corveloni

12 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Adriano Carvalho	...	António
Luana Nastas	...	Beatriz (as Luana Tito Nastas)
Sandra Corveloni	...	Dona Ondina
Juliana Carneiro da Cunha	...	Dona Zizinha
Roberto Audio	...	Bartholomeu
Vinicius Dos Anjos	...	Virgilio
Toumany Kouyaté	...	Lider Africanos
Jai Baptista	...	Feliciana
Fabrício Boliveira	...	Jeremias
Isadora Favero	...	Maria Joaquina
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Geísa Costa	...	Joana
Alexandre da Sena	...	Manuel
Maria Helena Dias	...	Domingas
Dinah Feldman	...	Naninha
Maria Aparecida de Jesus Fátima	...	Inácia

Storyline

Diamantina Mountains, Brazil, 1821. A slave trader, ANTONIO, returns to the decadent, but imposing farmhouse he inherited to discover his wife has died in child birth. Confined to this desolate property in the company of his demented mother-in-law and numerous slaves, he marries his dead wife's niece, BEATRIZ, a child of 12. A restless soul, he returns to his trading expeditions, and leaves his child wife behind. The loneliness of the big house in the rugged landscape mirrors that of its inhabitants. Each one has been displaced from his original home and forced into co-existence. The undercurrents of violence and prejudice, which still plague the Brazil of today, accelerate the inevitable tragedy which, in turn, heralds the tides of change.

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Dezenove Som e Imagem [Brazil] Ukbar Filmes [Portugal]

Country:

Brazil Portugal

Language:

Portuguese

Release Date:

12 January 2018 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Serro, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,489, 14 January 2018, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$23,884, 19 April 2018

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cisma Produções, Dezenove Som e Imagem, Ukbar Filmes

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

Vazante: Gendering Brazil

This visual arresting film is about 1800s colonial life in central Brazil depicting the harsh life of slavery plus a forbidden love story and vengeance. Its cast produces wonderful performances like the main protagonist, "Antonio" played by Adriano Carvalho.

The story unfolds as "Antonio" tends to his settlement, a place of numerous slaves and marries his recently deceased wife's teen niece, "Beatriz" (played tenderly by Luana Nastas). The strength of this story is the focus on gender, since its female characters dominate this film. From the master's maternal household to the slave women used for sexual affairs and labor for Antonio, this cast of diverse women characters solidify the storytelling.

This film is met with visceral imagery as it was shot entirely in black and white. Thomas's depiction of plantation work and visual references of Minas Gerais (known for its mining history) follows great Brazilian photographic traditions. There is almost no music soundtrack (although Brazilian legendary musician, Tom Ze has a track in the film) letting the viewer take in sounds from the landscape of birds chirping to food cooking throughout the house.