Elefanti Films | 2016
ROAD TO LIVRAMENTO A FILM BY GIULIANA AND BEATRIZ MONTEIRO
ELEFANTI FILMS 1
Project Information Estrada para Livramento / Road to Livramento Elefanti Films, Brazil Format ……………………………………………………… 16mm to DCP Running Time ………………………………………………… 80 min Genre …………………………………………………………... Drama/ road movie Target Audience …………………………………………….. All audiences Production Company ……………………………………….Elefanti Films Co Production Company ………………………………....…TBD Director ………………………………………………………Giuliana Monteiro Producer …………………………………………………… Beatriz Monteiro Countries of Production …………………………………… Brazil and Uruguay Shooting Language ………………………………….......... Portuguese / Spanish Filming Locations …………………………………………. Brazil and Uruguay Shooting Start ………………………………………………. June 2017 Development phase ……………………………………….. Raising Funds Labs and Markets ............................................................. Buenos Aires Talent Lab / Foro de Coproducción at San Sebástian
Financial Information Total Budget …………………………………………………... € 559,927.00 Financing Already in place ………………………………… € 125,980.00 Awards………………………………… Spike Lee Fund for development in 2014 Financiers / Partners Already Confirmed Spike Lee Fund Elefanti Films (own investiment)
Contact Information Contact ……………………………………………………. elefanti.films@gmail.com Site ………………………………………………………… www.elefantifilms.com Phone ………………………………………………………+551130792308 Mobile ……………………………………………………...+5511974252525
ESTRADA PARA LIVRAMENTO (ROAD TO LIVRAMENTO)
PRODUCTION COMPANY’S PROFILE ELEFANTI FILMS Elefanti Films was founded in 2008 by filmmakers and sisters Beatriz and Giuliana Monteiro. It focuses on the development and co-production of independent features films, short films, documentary films, television and web series that will appeal to domestic and international audiences. Our goal is to develop and produce projects that strengthen Latin America identity through stories that makes audience think. Based in São Paulo, Brazil the company collaborates with filmmakers from different parts of the world such as Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, New York, Los Angeles, Spain, Beijing, Mexico among others. Currently, Elefanti Films is in development with their first feature length film, “Estrada para Livramento” (Road to Livramento) which won the Spike Lee Fund for development in 2015. Recent works includes the collaboration with Spike Lee in his recent film CHIRAQ and numerous shorts that have been shown at International festivals such as I Don’t Say Goodbye, I Say See you Soon (2014) which won best film at the Viña del Mar, International Film Festival and screened in more than 30 international film festivals including the 64th Berlinale.
PRODUCTION COMPANY FILMOGRAPHY THE BIRTHDAY CAKE / short film / fiction / 16mm / USA / BRA (2008) ; ROOT / short film / experimental / 16mm / USA / BRA (2011); MARGARETE 6422 / short film / documentary / digital / BRA (2011); STAY / short film / fiction / digital / USA / BRA (2012); EU NAO DIGO ADEUS, DIGO ATE LOGO / short film / fiction / 16mm / BRA (2014); HAPPINESS / short film / fiction / 16mm / USA (2015); AFTERNOON TALKS / short film / documentary / super 8mm / BRA (2016); CHI RAQ (feature film directed by Spike Lee, shot segment in São Paulo, 2016).
PRODUCER’S BIO Beatriz Monteiro is a journalist and producer born and raised in São Paulo. She graduated in Journalism in 2005, she produced and directed her thesis project, the documentary short film “Catalyst”. The film shows the 31st G8 summit and the activists groups that went to Scotland to protest against world leaders. After that, she worked with investigative news for four years at Epoca Magazine (Focus International Magazine) in São Paulo where she wrote and produced weekly short stories. Her passion for stories drove her to the world of documentaries where she started to work as a producer. Beatriz approaches every subject with a humanist vision what defines her work grounded in reality and unique. In 2007, she produced and directed the documentary Tamo Junto (Together), about a group of waiters that lived in a nightclub in São Paulo. In 2009, she produced the documentary Nosso tempo é agora (Our time is Now) about the last fisherman village to receive electricity in the west coast of São Paulo. In 2010 she produced the documentary about Jean Charles, Assassinato de Jean Charles for the Discovery Channel. The documentary received an Emmy nomination in 2010. Her latest work includes the documentary film "Yoani Travels", that tells the story of the Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez and her trip to Brazil. She also worked as a producer in the documentary film “The Prologue”, a historical documentary about movies that were made during dictatorship in Brazil. The film won best feature film at FICCA – International Films Festival of Caeté. For Television, Beatriz has developed and produced original series for channels like National Geographic, Discovery, A&E, History and HBO. She is also co founder of Elefanti Films, where she produced short films including the latest “ I Don’t Say Goodbye, I Say See You Soon” that screened in the 64th Berlinale and won best film at the International Film Festival in Viña del Mar FICVINA 2014. PRODUCER’S FILMOGRAPHY CATALYST documentary, short film, 25”min (BR) 2005,TOGETHER documentary, short film, 10” min (BR) 2007. OUR TIME IS NOW, documentary, short film, 15”min (BR) 2009. JEAN CHARLES, documentary, feature film, 80”min (BR/UK) 2010.THE BIRTHDAY CAKE, fiction short film 10"min (USA) 2008, ROOT, experimental short film 6"min (USA) 2011, MARGARETE 6422, documentary short film 12" min (BRAZIL) 2011, STAY, fiction short film 10" min (USA) 2012, I DON'T SAY GOODBYE, I SAY SEE YOU SOON, fiction short film, 16"min (BRAZIL) 2014, HAPPINESS fiction short film 11"min (BR/USA) 2015. YONI TRAVELS, documentary, feature film (2015) (BR/CUBA), THE PROLOGUE, documentary, feature film, 70”min (2014) (BR)
DIRECTOR’S BIO Giuliana Monteiro is a writer/director born in São Paulo, Brazil. She started working in the audiovisual industry in 2003 as a producer for documentaries and television shows. She worked for the National Geographic, History Channel, Discovery Channel, Globo and also in independent features before she moved to New York in 2011 to pursue a Master degree in filmmaking at the New York University, Tisch School of the Arts. She is currently a graduate thesis student in the MFA program where she is the recipient of the BAFTA Fellowship and the AAUW International fellowship. Giuliana wrote and directed 5 short films in the program, “Root” (fiction), “Margarete 6422” (documentary), “Stay” (fiction), “Happiness” (fiction) and “I Don’t Say Goodbye, I Say See You Soon” (fiction). Going from a more experimental language to fiction she found herself in a hybrid language between documentary and fiction. Her recently short film, "I Don't Say Goodbye, I Say See You Soon" premiered at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival and traveled to more than 20 film International film festivals, winning best short film at the Viña del Mar International Film Festival and best screenplay at the First Run Film Festival. Giuliana is also a co founder of Elefanti Films an independent producer company based in São Paulo. She currently works in their first feature screenplay "The Road to Livramento" that in 2014 won the Spike Lee Production Fund for development. DIRECTOR’S FILMOGRAPHY THE BIRTHDAY CAKE / short film / fiction / 16mm / USA / BRA (2008) ; ROOT / short film / experimental / 16mm / USA / BRA (2011); MARGARETE 6422 / short film / documentary / digital / BRA (2011); STAY / short film / fiction / digital / USA / BRA (2012); EU NAO DIGO ADEUS, DIGO ATE LOGO / short film / fiction / 16mm / BRA (2014); HAPPINESS / short film / fiction / 16mm / USA (2015); AFTERNOON TALKS / short film / documentary / super 8mm / BRA (2016);
GIULIANA MONTEIRO PINHEIRO Address: 26 Monitor Street apt. 4B Brooklyn, NY – USA 11222 Mobile Tel.: +1 347 613 4025 Email: gp778@nyu.edu / giulllia@gmail.com D.O.B.: 09/05/1981 Nationality: Brazilian / Italian Status in the US: F-1 Visa applying for the OPT Languages: English (Fluent/FCE Cambridge/TOEFL). Spanish (Fluent / Miguel de Cervantes High-School, São Paulo). French (Advanced / Aliance Française, São Paulo/Paris). ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
2016 Master in Fine Arts at Tisch School of the Arts – New York University – 2016 2008 NYU SCPS- School of Continuing Programs – Filmmaking Intensive Workshop / September – December 2003 Graduated in Communication, Bachelor in Multimedia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo – PUC/SP concluded in December, 2003 Scholarships and Fellowships BAFTA Fellowship 2015 AAUW International Fellowship – 2013 Tisch Kanbar Fellowship 2011 / 2013 / 2014 RECENT PROJECTS 2016 “Afternoon Talks” Short Film (Documentary) 10 min Festivals Slamdance Film Festival 2016 2015
“The Road to Livramento” (Estrada para Livramento) Feature Film Screenplay (under development) Awards Spike Lee Production Fund for Development Award
2014
“I Don’t Say Goodbye, I Say See You Soon” Short Film (Fiction) – 16’34” Main Festivals 64th Berlin International Film Festival 41st Student Academy Awards Festival Internacional de Viña del Mar - FICVINA 42nd Huesca International Film Festival 22nd Vila do Conde International Film Festival Festival du Films du Monde Montreal Festival del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de Havana Awards Best Film Iberoamericano – Viña del Mar International Film Festival Best Film Audience Award Brafftv Toronto
Student Academy Awards – Finalist Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation Finishing Award Best Screenplay – First Run Film Festival Best Director – First Run Film Festival Best Film – James Richard Janowsky Award 2013
“Margarete 6422” – Written and Directed Short Film (Documentary) – 6’40” https://vimeo.com/37504627 (password: lindinha)
2012
“Stay” – Written and Directed Short Film (Fiction) – 8’30” https://vimeo.com/44059177 (password: stay)
2011
"Root" - Written and Directed Short Film (Fiction) – 5’ https://vimeo.com/35773920 (password: root)
2008
“The Birthday Cake” - Written and Directed Short film (Fiction) – 6’
PAST PROJECTS | PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITIONS & INSTALLATIONS 2014 – Photograph Exhibition – Galeria Pintura Brasileira (São Paulo) - Group Exhibition 2009 – “Where Our Dreams Go” Written and Directed 2008 – Dans un Monde Noir et Blanc. Directed and Written the 5 minute short film 2007 – “As Cadeiras de Luxembourg” (The Luxembourg Chairs) Photographic essay, part of the exhibition “Comme un Flâneur”, which gathers the images of Paris during the general strike in October 2007. 2003 – “Diferentes Formas de Olhar a Vida” (Different ways of looking at life) Undergraduate thesis that originated a photographic exhibition at the Museum of Culture in São Paulo. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 40 Acres / New York – 2015 Spike Lee Productions – Fiction Film CHIRAQ Directed the extract shot in São Paulo, Brasil 40 Acres / New York – 2014 – 2015 Spike Lee Productions – Documentary “Go Brasil Go” AE for the documentary Go Brasil Go Mixer / São Paulo; 2009 - 2011 Advertisement Company – Commercial Films First AD for commercial films. Rede Globo de Televisão / Chile; Mar. - Dec. 2008 Television Channel - Content “O Alex no Chile” – “Programa do Jô” (TV Show) Producer and First AD. “O Passado” (The Past) / São Paulo – Oct. 2007 Feature Film - Director: Hector Babenco Personal Assistant to Cast members during its release in national territory. http://wwws.br.warnerbros.com/opassado/
Rede Globo de Televisão / São Paulo; 2007 Television Channel – Content Producer “Te Quiero América” - (Mar. - Aug. 2007) Director: Luiz Villaça Content for weekly TV show “Fantástico” for Rede Globo (Television Channel) - Producer responsible for international production in Latin America (Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela). http://fantastico.globo.com/Jornalismo/Fantastico/0,,9257,00.html Canal Azul / São Paulo; 2005 - 2007 Production Company – Content Main Projects: “Por Los Caminos Del Che” - (Apr. 2006 – Mar. 2007) Directors: Douro Moura and Lygia Barbosa Co-Production by Canal Azul for National Geographic Channel. Producer responsible for the casting in Argentina, pre-production and productions accomplished in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela. Included managing the post-production and deliverables. http:// especiais.natgeo.com.br/oscaminhosdeche/ “Shark Rebellion” – (Nov. 2005 - Apr. 2006) Directors: Rodrigo Astiz and Malcom Hall Co-production between Canal Azul and Natural History New Zealand for Discovery Channel Producer responsible for the production accomplished in Recife and Cuba and also responsible for the postproduction. http://www.canalazul.net/ O2 Films / Sao Paulo – Sep. 2005 – Nov. 2005 The Journey to the End of the Night / 12 horas antes do Amanhecer – Director Eric Eason Feature Film co-production Nu Image and Millennium Films Personal Assistant, Brendan Fraser, and production assistant on set. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454879/ Rede Record / Sao Paulo – May. 2005 – Aug. 2005 O Aprendiz 2 / The Apprentice 2 Reality Show produced for a television. Production assistant to outside broadcast and responsible for the international production. Radar/ Mixer / São Paulo – Aug. 2004 – Dec. 2004 Valores do Brasil no Mundo – Commercial Campaign for the Bank of Brazil Campaign for “Banco do Brasil” produced by Radar and Mixer. Producer responsible for the international production in the following countries (Germany, Italy, France, Holland and Portugal). Kreaktiv Mídia / São Paulo – Mar. 2003 – Sep. 2003 Different journalistic subjects, besides topics about the World Cup in Germany. Production assistant responsible for journalistic short stories for ZDF, German television channel.
SYNOPSIS João, a 45-year-old truck driver, returns home and stumbles into an ecological disaster. The dam of the nearest mining company crumbles and suddenly the world around him has sunken into the dirt. Learning about the tragedy through the news, Martin (35), decides to return to the village after being away for ten years. Interested in any possible monetary compensation for the loss and damages to his home, he goes in search of his older brother, João. The company responsible for the tragedy informs the survivors about the process for compensation, but the documents required include the house’s paperwork, as well as the signature of their younger brother, Lucas (30), whose whereabouts are unknown. The only clue they have is the address of Helena (42), with whom Lucas is living. The lack of perspective and not sure of when he would be able to go back to his life, forces João to accept Martin’s offer to transport an illegal cargo to Caxias do Sul, a town not far from the address they have. When they get to the deep South, they feel the hostility from the local farmers. For the first time, the brothers feel like foreigners in their own country. They find Helena, who reveals that their father was once married to her mother, before crossing the south border of Brazil to live in Uruguay. There, their father lived in a small fishing village called Livramento, where Lucas has been living ever since. Martin cannot understand the reason why his younger brother fled all the way to Uruguay to meet the man who had abandoned them. At this point, he believes the trip is pointless and wants to turn back but João convinces him to stay with the promise that the money will help them all. Willing to help the brothers find Lucas, Helena gives them the address of Don Antônio (88), a fisherman who the younger brother is living with. For two days the brothers travel to cross the border, and as they meet drifters along the way, João’s internal desire for a reunion with his brothers grows stronger. Landing in Uruguay, they search for Don Antonio that with a slow-paced voice, informs them that Lucas passed away in an accident, leaving behind his seven-year-old son, JUAN(7). Don Antonio’s announcement of their younger brother’s death sinks in and. suddenly, their world grows silent. Days pass by with few words exchanged between the two. João wants to visit Lucas’ burial place, and Don Antonio agrees to take him. Slowly, João gets closer to his nephew Juan. Martin decides to buy a bus ticket back home and signs the documents giving his share of the house to João. When looking into Martin’s eyes, João says goodbye without knowing when they will meet again. Inspired by his brother’s decision of leaving, João decides to go back on the road and drive without a destination. When João hears about the voting for a new piece of land to rebuilt his village, he decides to go back to Livramento and ask Don Antônio if he can take his nephew with him back to Brazill. In an empty road, João drives the truck while the kid looks attentively through the window to a new landscape.
DIRECTOR’s STATEMENT OF INTENT
Where do people go when everything they have is lost? Is it possible to start a new life? Wrestling with these questions and trying to analyze the political and economic moment that takes place in Brazil nowadays is what motivated me to tell this story.
Road to Livramento, It’s a story about human relations and brotherhood. For me, the most interesting aspect of the relationship between siblings is that it is capable of leaving all the rivalry behind and regroup people even if it’s for a short period of time. This is the strength of this relationship and that’s what inspired us to write this story.
We believe that the political and economic crises that affects Brazil today, helped to increase the detachment between the North and the South of the country. It is almost like those two regions are disconnected, like two different countries, just like our characters. It feels to us the perfect moment to portrait that difference. The reasons to migrate to southern states are increasing daily, overpopulating the region what constantly brings this matter to discussion.
This film is a fiction drama and also a road movie and we believe that a lot of its elements are going to be incorporated on the road. The internal crises of the characters merge with the national crisis that is spread around the country. And it’s the internal conflict of the characters that will guide them throughout their journey.
In terms of visual approach, I realized that the aesthetic elements are shaped by the dramatic changes that the protagonists undergo in the movie. The landscape changes when they get to the south and it provokes a directly transformation in our characters as well. The change of the landscape also helps to create the
feeling of bounding between them. It slowly evolves as they connect. It's important for the narrative that the cinematography of the film is created in favor of the characters and the place that we are going to portrait. Their journey is an invitation to discover a new part of the country as well as themselves. Â
I believe in the strength of this story and in how it affects Brazil as a whole. We talk a lot about how the solution for this country is the possibility of restart in a different way, from scratch. For us, the fact that we know that, possibilities to a new beginning exists it gives us the strength that we need to not only talk about the problems. This feeling, moves us forward to look for solutions and new alternatives.
Producer's Note
When Giuliana and I founded Elefanti Films, it took us a while to realize that the challenge of making films also asked for a huge amount of passion. We want to make films that we don’t see on screen. But why aren’t they made? Was one of the questions that came to our minds. I believe that a lot has to do with the fact that writing it’s a long process and requires commitment. I have been working on this project for more than five years now and I believe that the last change we made on the script, adding what happened in Minas Gerais / Brazil past November, helped us to shape the project and offered us the opportunity to talk about the Brazil we live in now. This project grew and became more than the story of two brothers. It reflects the political and economic crisis that affects the Country that we live in.This is my main interest in telling this story. To depict a real portrait of Brazil and how diverse the Brazilian society is. While we start to think about solutions to change the Country we are aware of the importance of the moment that we are living as filmmakers and society, so we understand that it might be the hardest moment to reach an International investor and convince them that it is a good moment to invest in a project that takes place in Brazil. A lot came up when we started to pitch this project to funds and investors. "It's the worst time to invest in a project in Brazil," one person said. "It's a drama that involves an ecological disaster and it's being told throughout the perspective of two men. Who will care?” another person said. And I defended the story by saying that, yes it is a tough economic moment to invest in a film that takes place in Brazil but on the other hand, it’s the best time to portrait what it is happening in the Country. Regarding the ecological disaster that affected an area of 650 km, we believe that this story must be told because this accident it is considered the biggest mining accident in the world and until today, 8 months after the tragedy,
nothing happened to the area affected or to the people who had to leave their homes behind. The financial plan for this project is based in raising money with Brazilian resources but with the government changes, we should be also prepared to face a delay or cancelation of funds already pre-approved. But those are not enough reasons to leave this project behind. In hardest times, films were made because filmmakers had the courage to push it through and look for alternatives in order to make them.
THE ROAD TO LIVRAMENTO A film by Beatriz and Giuliana Monteiro
The Road to Livramento By Giuliana Monteiro
Logline The destinies of two estranged brothers reluctantly merge when they embark on a journey through the south of Brazil in order to search for their youngest brother who has disappeared.
Short Synopsis The Road to Livramento, tells the story of João and Martin, brothers that after 10 years are reunited after an ecological tragedy destroys their village. Forced to leave and believing that they will receive compensation from the company who caused the accident, they decide to look for their younger brother, Lucas in order to get his signature and gather all the required documents to get the money for the damages. They travel to the south of the country following the only hint they have about Lucas. All those roadside people seem to be displaced, just like them. They don’t belong to the south and they feel it. Somehow they feel as outsiders in their own country, in their own family. After a ten years gap, the only thing they share in common is the desire to restart a new life.
An ecological Tragedy The sunken village
photos by Christiano Cravo
Cinematography Mood board Visual Style of the film
Location North and South of Brazil and Uruguay
photos by personal research
Life on the Road (real people) The invisible complements the visible
photos (first page) by Giuliana and Beatriz Monteiro photos (second page) photographer Eurico Salis
Contact Info Elefanti Films elefanti.films@gmail.com +551130792308 +5511974252525