Note from BW of Brazil: It’s been a long time coming but it’s never too late. Actor Antônio Pitanga has appeared in some of the great films of Brazilian Cinema dating back to the days of black and white. He became well-known after appearing in a number of films during Brazil’s Cinema Novo film movement of the 1960s and also appeared in a number of memorable novelas and TV series. So what better way for his actress daughter Camila to honor his life’s work than with a documentary? Along with the film, Pitanga also recently won a prestigious award for his contributions to Brazilian film. Check out the brief write up below for a few more details.
Documentary by actress Camila Pitanga about the life of her father, actor Antonio Pitanga, wins award
Pitanga won for Best Brazilian Film at the 40ª Mostra Internacional de Cinema (40th International Film Festival)
By Bruno Astuto
Trying to rebuild her life since the tragic accident that resulted in the death of actor Domingos Montagner, actress Camila Pitanga recently earned a reason to smile. Pitanga, a documentary that marks the actress’s debut as the director of the genre and that talks about the life and work of her father, actor Antonio Pitanga, is the winner of the prêmio da crítica (Critics Award) for Melhor Filme Brasileiro (Best Brazilian Film) at the 40ª Mostra Internacional de Cinema (40th International Film Festival). “I never thought of myself as so great to the point of receiving such a beautiful homage. But I confess that I was very proud of the award,” said Antonio Pitanga.
Filming encounters and re-encounters of the actor and director with friends, family, ex-girlfriends, filmmakers, musicians and other comrades in life and the profession, Camila Pitanga and Beto Brant revisited the work of the honoree, investigating his aesthetic, political and existential path, which was a highlight in the moment of greater artistic restlessness of Brazilian cinema, Cinema Novo. “This recognition comes to crown the generosity of my daughter and Beto with my trajectory,” celebrated the great Pitanga.
Antonio Pitanga honored with the Leon Cakoff Award
Antonio Pitanga was awarded the Prêmio Leon Cakoff (Leon Cakoff Award) on Saturday (22), before the showing of the documentary. In a legendary career, Pitanga has appeared in more than 50 films, in addition to television series and novelas (soap operas).
Born Antonio Sampaio, Pitanga earned the nickname after playing a character with that name in the feature film Bahia de Todos os Santos (1960), directed by Trigueirinho Neto.
In more than 55 years of his career, he was featured in some of the most artistic moments of Brazilian cinema, especially during the Cinema Novo period. He worked with filmmakers such as Glauber Rocha, Cacá Diegues, Walter Lima Jr., Joaquim Pedro de Andrade and Anselmo Duarte.
During the honor, in addition to showing the documentary Pitanga, Mostra also played two emblematic films starring the actor: Barravento (1962), by Glauber Rocha, and A Grande Cidade (1966), by Cacá Diegues.
See some highlights of the actor’s career in this video (in Portuguese).
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