São Paulo – Tarik was a boy when he was obliged to leave Lebanon, in the 1950s, and migrate to Brazil with his family, where he made a new home. This is a common story among the grandchildren of the Lebanese immigrants who came to Brazil, but this time it gained new life in the hands of movie director Márcio Curi, who is going to the Arab country in April to complete the shooting of long movie A Última Estação (The Last Stop).
The movie, which has been under production since July last year, is a fictitious narrative, which tells the story of Tarik, who decided to seek the Lebanese friends he made on the migration ship, fifty years after his arrival in Brazil. As each one went to a different part of the country, the film includes images of Paulínia, in São Paulo; Anápolis, in Goiás, Ilhéus, in Bahia, Belém, Pará, and also Brasília, the Federal capital.
According to Curi, there were interviews with 15 families of Lebanese origin in the cities filmed. "It was due to these interviews, the saga of each one, that screenwriter Di Moretti wrote the screenplay," said the director, who is of Lebanese descent on his father’s side.
"The characters do not have a real correspondent, but the movie brings together fragments of true stories," said Curi. According to him, the footage from Brazil has already been concluded, but some scenes from Lebanon are still lacking, where the start of the story will be shot. Apart from Beirut, Curi wants to shoot at a small village outside the city, to try to generate the impressions of the 1950s.
Despite being a grandson of Lebanese, this should be the director’s first trip to Lebanon. Curi also doesn’t speak Arabic, despite the movie having 30% of its dialogue in Arabic. "During the shooting I learnt some words," he said, adding that he learnt with the Lebanese Mounir Maasri, who played the part of Tarik, the main character.
According to Curi, the idea of the screenplay by Di Moretti was inspired on the trajectory of the screenplay writer’s father-in-law’s story. "This is the first time that I get involved with my origins, my forefathers, in a movie," said the director, who worked in production of eight movies and has been in the market for over 40 years.
A Última Estação should be concluded in July, with co-production by Asacine and Cinevideo. The film should have around 90 minutes and should also cover religious questions, like the coexistence between Christians and Muslims in Brazil. According to Curi, the public may expect a touching story, full of feeling.
Curi plans to promote a pre-launch at clubs and organisations or Lebanese origin. He also plans to take the movie to the Arab nations.
*Translated by Mark Ament
