São Paulo – The Brazilian animated movie “O menino e o mundo” (Boy & the World) will be screened in Beirut, Lebanon’s capital, this Sunday (13th) as part of the Metropolis Youth Film Fest (MY Film Fest), a festival organized by movie theater chain Metropolis in a partnership with several embassies in the country. The movie, by director Alê Abreu, was nominated for the Oscars 2016 in the Best Animation category. It didn’t win the trophy, but received more than 40 awards, such as the top prize at the 38th Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France, considered to be the largest in animation.
The MY Film Fest directs its focus to children and young audiences. The Brazilian embassy in Beirut, through its Cultural Sector, is part of the initiative and organized the exhibition. The Brazil-Lebanon Cultural Center, a branch of the Cultural Sector, was responsible for advertising. There already was a first screening of the movie, under the same organizational structure, at the Beirut Animated festival, in October of last year, which was considered a “big success”, according to the director of the Cultural Center, Najua Bazzi.
“The story, which tells of the search of a kid for his father, is very moving. The images speak for themselves, since the movie has no dialogue, which makes it easier to understand it, even for little children”, says Bazzi. The plot centers on the boy Cuca, who lives in an inland village and who one day watches as his father leaves on a trip to the capital. The boy is sad until one night something takes him to a distant and magical place.
The festival started this Thursday (10) and ends on Monday (14). Besides the Brazilian animation, there are also productions from France, United States, Japan, Denmark, Germany, Turkey, Qatar, Canada, among others. Some of them are co-productions. “O menino e o Mundo” will be screened at 3:30 at the Metropolis Empire Sofil. All screenings are free.
“All cultural actions strengthen the historical ties of friendship between Brazil and Lebanon and, of course, we want to make sure that these ties are passed on to the new generations. Hence the importance of cultural actions such as this one, which aims at children and young audiences”, says Bazzi.
Screening of the movie “O menino e o mundo” (Boy & the World)
March 13th, 3:30 PM
MY Film Fest
Metropolis Empire Sofil – Beirute
Admission free
Information: http://www.metropoliscinema.net/2016/my-filmfest2016/
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
