Documentary “Iron Society” is almost finished. After the editing phase now comes the audio mix and color adjustments. The film is a study about mining activity in central Brazil and its connections with poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade, one of the greatest in the country who was born and lived part of his life in the region, seeing the development of ore mining from its beginnings. The film also discusses globalization, capitalism and our post-modern society values. “Iron Society” is a Prodigo Films/Globo Films/GNews production and will be screened in festivals in Brazil and abroad before reaching tv in 2024.
Iron Society in its final stages
November - 2023
GABY AMARANTOS WILL HOST SOBRE_VIVÊNCIAS
September - 2023
Famous Brazilian singer & actress Gaby Amarantos has just filmed her scenes and will host “Sobre_Vivências” documentary series. The project (5×60′) discusses the impacts of our global lifestyle in many different areas, presenting solutions and people that are currently working to prevent an even bigger planetary crisis. During the shooting, she was also interviewed by Paulina Chamorro, famous environmental journalist (Vozes do Planeta Podcast), who will present a series based on the project. Now, it’s time for final editing and finishing up the episodes! Stay tuned for more news…
“SOBREVIVÊNCIAS” SHOOTING IS ALMOST DONE
September - 2023
Now that we are approaching the end of our “SobreVivências” project, with editing almost complete for its five episodes (5×60′), it is time for our last days of shooting, which end this week (09-15-23). Our crew visited Santos, some 70km from São Paulo and home of the largest port in South America, to discuss the rising of the oceans and ‘climate apartheid’. João Malavolta, from Ecosurf movement, was with us while we navigated by the rich areas of the city and, on the other side of the island, one of the biggest “favelas over stilts” in the country.
The team also met Trama Afetiva, a creative group of people in São Paulo that are transforming trashed old umbrellas in desirable fashion items, creating jobs for many people in this chain. Last, we’ve encountered Gisele Rocha, an active entrepreneur who created an education program for underpriviledged people, mostly from slums and communities around the metropolis, to teach them how to manage their finances and prevent over consumption and increasing banking debts.
SHOOTING PHASE IS OVER FOR MY NEW DISNEY/STAR+ SERIES!
July - 2023
We have finished the second flight for our new Star+ series. First one happened in Rio de Janeiro in May/June, where we’ve stayed for almost a month. July saw our crew in São Paulo, shooting the last interviews and scenes during a two-week period, completing 25 days on the field. It took more than 50 tv professionals working in the studio and on previously selected locations to complete the job. The editing process started on Monday, 17th.
Our team celebrates the end of shooting phase!
FILMING BEGINS FOR OUR NEW STAR+ PROJECT
May - 2023
In May and June 23, for almost a month, our film crew travelled to Rio de Janeiro and made the city its home and work base to begin shooting phase for our new Star+ project. After almost two years of research, the last six/seven months were spent in development and pre-production, with our teams working hard on the scripts and to establishing a solid look&feel concept for the whole show. Last thing was calling our documentary crew, fixing everything ang getting ready to roll.
In Rio, we had many different film locations, spreading through the city, in the center, north, south and west zones. DoP is Janice D’Ávila, art director: Fernanda Carlucci, digital art: Vini Kahan, sound: Pedro Sá Earp, scriptwriters: Nathalia Guinet & Laura Artigas, editing script: Thiago Mattar, research: Bruna Rodrigues, development: Gabriela Matarazzo, executive producers: Luísa Adegas & Renata Grynszpan, producers: Beto Gauss & Francesco Civita, for Prodigo Films. In the end of June we start filming our second leg of shooting in São Paulo. And in July we get back to Rio to finish filming.
EDITING BEGINS FOR ‘IRON SOCIETY’ PROJECT
April - 2023
Beginning in April, my new documentary ‘Iron Society’ hits its editing stage with Eduardo Gripa – award winner editor with important works under his belt (“Me chama que eu vou”, “A Viagem de Pedro”, “Democracia em Vertigem”). The film tells the story of Mariana and Brumadinho mining tragedies only to broaden the scope, discussing our concepts of ‘progress’ and ‘development’, and the role of economy and the so called globalization with their impacts on our post-modern society. ‘Iron Society’ is a Prodigo Films production in association with Globo Filmes and GNews. More updates in a few weeks…
Writers Room begins its activities for new Star+ TV series
January - 2023
After many months of research and preparation, Prodigo Films officially begins its new non-fiction TV Series project, with development and scriptwriting teams working together with Star+, our great streaming partners for this one. It’s a beautiful and strong story, with intimate-poetic and investigative overtones.
Our meetings began reviewing strategies and studies developed throughout 2022, discussing characters, narratives, artistic approach and first sketches for our 4-episode series.
Our team has Gabriela Matarazzo as head of development, Ana Herman as development assistant, Bruna Rodrigues, Larissa Yamassaki & Thiago Mattar as researchers, Luisa Adegas & Cris Alves as our production team, Renata Grynszpan as executive producer, Laura Artigas & Nathalia Guinet as writers and Eduardo Rajabally as director.
More and detailed information on this exciting new project soon…
IRON SOCIETY BEGINS NEW SHOOTINGS
December - 2022
Iron Society (working title / GloboFilmes-GloboNews) is a feature film project that started in 2016 when the tragic Mariana (MG) mud spill destroyed the small village of Bento Rodrigues killing many of its inhabitants. It was considered the worst environmental tragedy in history. Story and project development took more time than estimated and then the Brumadinho (MG) mud flow happened in 2019. Our crew arrived on site a few days later to document the rescue teams on their heroic efforts to find hundreds of people that dessapeared beneath the mud waves.
Four years and a world pandemic crisis later, here we are, keeping up with this important documentary, but now trying to understand all that happened years ago from a broader perspective. Globalization, big corps, democracy, identity, climate changes and so many others themes are now thrown into the mix and discussions.
We began by listening to some of the most influential and creative thinkers, some of them dedicating their lives to the comprehension of the most important issues of our lifetime. More to come soon…!
“SOBREVIVÊNCIAS” TRAVELS TO BRAZIL’S COUNTRY SIDE TO DISCUSS CLIMATE CHANGE
November - 2022
“SobreVivências” project traveled in November to Goiás, on the central part of the country, to meet farmers and cattle ranchers and discover how climate change is affecting their business. The results are frightening: crops lost, unstable rain fall, poor soils… Global Warming is now an unescapable truth, but its most devastating consequences have not reached this region yet. According to a farmer who keeps track and records very accurately rainfall patern on the region “when the worst consequences reach us here it will be too late. We must do something before that happens”.
The documentary crew also visited Nerópolis (GO), a 30,000 inhabitants city, where a pioneer project wants to eliminate food waste. Comida Invisível (Invisible Food) is an idea that uses every city structure (personnel, recovery network, distribution centres) to recover food that would be otherwise throw away and distribute it to the most vulnerable citizens. They hope to make Nerópolis a “zero food waste” city, the first in the country, and then replicate the concept through the country.
“SobreVivências” is a documentary series that discusses the most important challenges of this century: climate change, food waste and production, city solutions, social inequality and vulnerability, circularity, social inclusion, economy etc. More information about its conclusion and exhibition soon.
“SOBREVÊNCIAS”: SERIES BEGINS ITS SECOND SHOOTING FLIGHT
October - 2022
“SobreVivências” is a new tv series that deals with some of the most challenging themes of the 21st century, such as climate change, food waste, circular economy, food production, urban planning etc. The production began in October its second shooting flight, with characters and their profound stories of survival and struggle for change.
The crew visited Jardim Colombo and Jardim Ampliação, in São Paulo’s Morumbi neighborhood – one of the city’s richest areas and at the same time home to some of the biggest slums in Brazil. These extremely poor people suffer already from what has been called “Climate Apartheid”, where vulnerable citizens suffer first the consequences of global warming.
Our team exposes the horrible conditions in which they live, but at the same time the series offers ideas, projects and solutions already beeing tested – a possible way out. Pink Farm is what you may call a vertical urban farm, producing quality food inside the metropolis and reducing water consumption, using circular techniques and avoiding food waste and burning fossil fuels with transportation from distant traditional farm locations to the cities.
“SobreVivências” is a Tocha Films production.
Shooting is over for Sound Architects series!
August - 2022
Shooting of my latest series Sound Architects about some of the top musical instrument makers in Brazil ended on August 22th. After traveling around the country, the project finished its filming phase at the studio, in São Paulo, recording some great talented artists presenting their instruments: inventive guitar player Monica Agena, “musical archeologist” and viola player Dagma Eid (presenting stringed instruments from the 16th, 17th and 19th centuries), creative performer and master percussionist Kabé Pinheiro and a beautiful renaissance/medieval trio.
The series is a Grifa Films Production, with Tiago SilvaCam (DoP), Juliana Belluomini & Erica Suzumura (Production), Adriano Pereira (Research) and Sound Recording by Moisés Brasil. Original Idea, Script and Direction by Eduardo Rajabally. Editing starts in two weeks by Gustavo Ribeiro. The project will be finished by the end of 2022. Stay tuned for updates on this beautiful series!
Sound Architects is on filming mode
July - 2022
Filming of this new series began on July 26th, telling the stories of some of the most famous and refined luthiers in Brazil – top quality muscial instrument makers. Each of the four episodes presents one family of instruments: classic, exotic and traditional, percussive and electric. The episodes will also have professional musicians in studio demonstrating the sounding qualities of these precision instruments. Shooting is happening in São Paulo, Paraná and Minas Gerais. Production by Grifa Films.