The Brazilian film "Vicentina Pede Desculpas" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Saturday, September 12, one of six titles shortlisted by the Brazilian Film Academy to represent the country at the Oscars.
The film is showing in TIFF's Platform section, a competitive program dedicated to auteur cinema and new directing talent with distinctive visions. Director Gabriel Martins, known for the film "Marte Um," discussed his expectations for the Toronto launch in an interview with CNN Brasil.
Director on Toronto premiere
Martins said TIFF was a very important and influential festival, not only in North America but worldwide, with a strong tradition behind it. He said the festival brought attention that the team had worked hard to earn, but did not always achieve, adding that the international market was highly competitive.
He said that no matter how hard a team works, a film often fails to break through, but that this time they had succeeded. Martins said the moment called for celebrating the effort that had gone into the film finally reaching an audience he described as warm and receptive. He added that TIFF's endorsement would undoubtedly matter for the film's next steps.
Next stop: San Sebastian
After Toronto, the film travels to the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain, running from September 18 to 26, where it will have its European market premiere. San Sebastian is one of the most prominent festivals on the international circuit.
The film's appearances at both festivals strengthen its chances of being the Brazilian Film Academy's pick to represent the country at the Oscars, where it would compete for a place in the Best International Feature Film category. The Academy's announcement is scheduled for September 16.
The other five films in contention are "100 Dias," directed by Carlos Saldanha; "A Fabulosa Máquina do Tempo," directed by Eliza Capai; "A Natureza das Coisas Invisíveis," directed by Rafaela Camelo; "Feito Pipa," directed by Allan Deberton; and "Nosso Segredo," directed by Grace Passô.
Martins's Oscar history
Gabriel Martins was previously chosen by the Academy to represent Brazil at the Hollywood ceremony in 2023 with "Marte Um." Rejane Faria, the lead actress in both of the director's films, spoke to CNN Brasil about her expectations for this year.
Faria said the movement of Brazilian cinema in relation to the Oscars had grown considerably, and that after many years without such momentum, the team was now focused on building a consistent path with "Vicentina."
She said that beyond the natural excitement the team inevitably feels, the focus was on thinking through how to walk that path and what mark the film would leave wherever it traveled, whether or not the goal was ultimately reached, since that outcome was still unknown. She said what mattered most was bringing this important work to audiences.
What the film is about
The story follows Vicentina, a retired 75-year-old teacher, who decides to seek out the families of victims of a fatal bus accident in Belo Horizonte to ask for their forgiveness, after investigations suggested that her son Wesley, the bus driver, may have caused the crash intentionally.
Martins described the film as centered on Vicentina's experience of grief as she seeks out the victims' families. He said the title reflects the film's central premise, that her act of apologizing is ultimately about living through a very personal grief.
Rejane Faria on the role
Faria, a mother of two, said her first thought on reading the script was about the feelings a mother in that position would have to carry.
She said she found herself imagining how she would act in Vicentina's place, and that reflecting on it made her realize the depth of a mother's connection to her child's life or death. Faria said she was deeply affected by the story and by everything Vicentina goes through over the course of the film.
"Vicentina Pede Desculpas" opens in Brazilian cinemas on November 5.
