Cinema, Criticism and Filmmaking

As a film critic from a country almost isolated due to its language (Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country in Latin America and so we don't have a full-bodied correspondence with our fellows Latin critics), a programme like the Talent Press is a one-time opportunity to learn first-hand about both film criticism and national cinematographies in other countries. Having so many cultural backgrounds involved in the programme (Poland, Switzerland, Turkey, China, India, Ireland and Singapore) only enhances the experience even more.

The first thing that came to my attention during conversations with my colleagues is the fact that, no matter how far away and different our countries are, we have pretty much the same problems as far as cinema is concerned, such as the reduced space for serious film criticism in the traditional media, predominance of Hollywood productions in movie theaters in detriment to the local production (to which India, with it's huge Bollywood cinema industry producing over 700 films annually, is obviously an exception), the necessity of pirate copies as the only way to get access to some of the greatest filmmakers nowadays (Hou Hsiao-hsien, Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Jia Zhangke were some of the names mentioned in this matter).

It was curious for me to observe that the situation is not very different in Europe. On the contrary, Brazil seems to have a slight advantage, according to my colleagues, of being the country where internet has strongly developed itself as an alternative space regarding both film circulation and critical reflection on cinema.

Another rare opportunity an event such as the Berlinale Talent Campus gives us is the possibility of a closer relationship with young filmmakers, both from our countries and abroad. Usually, film critics and filmmakers are separated by mutual suspicion and mistrust. During the Berlinale, however, we are able to watch films together and discuss cinema during lunch. When both sides stop seeing each other as enemies and start seeing how close our interests and passions are, what was previously seen as a taboo relationship now proves to be a quite promising one. As a matter of fact, some of my co-workers in Brazil are already making both film and criticism, following what is already a tradition in France.

So far here at the Berlinale, I've already being handled DVDs with films from several directors eager to have their works analyzed and even some scripts from filmmakers who would like a professional opinion on their projects even before they start being produced. It's true that this poses new issues to the film critic/filmmaker relationship, as this proximity can make it harder for a film critic to have an impartial opinion on the work of some directors. But that’s something both sides will have to learn how to deal with because, in the end, the gains are much bigger than the losses. For both sides and for cinema as a whole.

Leonardo Mecchi

© Berlinale Talent Campus 2007