Brazilian Jeferson De’s “Carolina Maria de Jesus,” which won the A.H. Media Production Award at this year’s Goes to Cannes showcase, aims to capture the ‘cinematic dimension’ of one of Brazil’s literary greats, says Maria Gal (“Perfect Love”) who produced the film and stars as Carolina.
In post-production, the film is based on the worldwide bestseller “Quarto de Despejo” (“Child of the Dark”), Carolina’s diary published in 1960. De Jesus describes her life in the 1950s as a waste picker in the Canindé favela in São Paulo, Brazil. Through sheer talent and self-determination, she rises above extreme poverty and racism.
“This is not only a Brazilian story. It is a profoundly human story about dignity, motherhood, affection, hunger, education, survival, and the pursuit of a dream,” says Gal.
Jeferson De. Photo Credit: Renato Nascimento
“Carolina Maria de Jesus is a fundamental figure in our history and in Brazilian literature, and telling her story through cinema carries enormous artistic, political, and historical significance,” director Jeferson De (“Broder”, “M8”) told Variety.
