Arts & Culture

AFI Film Festival- “Antonia” Review

Cash for your car

The AFI film festival is one of the ?most prominent and prestigious film festivals in North America, annually attracting thousands of film lovers and film industry professionals?. This year it is?taking place?at the ArcLight Theaters in Hollywood, showing many country’s official Oscar submissions. ?Antonia? is one of the great Latin cinemas being presented?

?She wanted to be a star? Stars shine way up high where everyone can see, and what she wants everyone to do is listen?.

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Director, Tata Amaral, opens ?Antonia? in an exciting spectacle of people happily cheering and shouting for a male Brazilian rapper performing on stage at what appears to be a Brazilian rendition of hip hop. A foreign voice over familiar drum patterns captivates the audience as they are swept up into the euphoria, making you want to clap your hands and cheer right along with the people on the big screen. Afterwards, you are given your first glimpse and introduction to the main characters from whom the name of the film is derived.

Barbarah, is the deeply intense, curly haired narrator of the film; Lena, a black Brazilian struggling to find her own artistic niche in the world; Preta, a saucy, strong-willed mother of one, and Mayah, the femme fatale make up the all female Brazilian rap/ singing group, Antonia. Amazingly, all unrelated women had a grandfather named Antonio, hence inspiring the name for the group.

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The four childhood friends living in Sao Paolo, Brazil each face obstacles and personal tragedies that test their own inner strength and composure, as well as the structure and future of the group. When Preta sees Mayah talking to her estranged boyfriend (who is also the father of her child) after a group performance, she angrily accuses Mayah of trying to be the ?other woman?, ending in a nasty public scene where Preta throws water in Mayah?s face. Mayah is then disbanded from the group. The new group of three then meet the quick-talking and a bit loony, Marcelo Diamond, who enlightens them that they are ?all beautiful and should have their own show?. A contract is then drawn up to instate Marcelo as the group?s official manager and he immediately begins getting them gigs all over Brazil at birthday parties and other events.

One of the great highlights of the film is when the girl?s perform at a birthday party and the boyfriend of the birthday girl begins to serenade her singing The Fugee?s ?Killing me softly?. He is obviously not as musically inclined as Antonia, so they join in and finish off the song displaying the most beautiful, harmonic melodies my ears have heard in a long time. It?s eminent that the three ladies are immensely gifted when they receive a thunderous applause at the end. Preta, Lena, and Barbarah are finally starting to envision the reality of the group?s possible success when Lena discovers she is pregnant. Her boyfriend is not supportive at first, but later accepts the situation under one harrowing condition: she must leave the group.

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Now a duo, with only Preta and Barbarah left as the only remaining members, Antonia is faced with yet another setback, when after a show they return home to find Barbarah?s gay brother, Duda and his boyfriend unconscious and severely beaten. Although they were rushed to the hospital, the boyfriend ends up dying and Duda is left to nurse both a wounded heart and broken leg. While walking home one evening, Preta and Barbarah are confronted by her brother?s attacker, who confesses to the crime in what appears to be a drunken stupor, and then threatens and attacks Barbarah. Barbarah kills her attacker and is sent to prison with a verdict of manslaughter, even though it was an act of self-defense. Preta tries to carry on a solo act with the encouragement of Marcelo Diamond but is profoundly affected by the events and eventually becomes dispirited.

Barbarah writes to Preta from prison, not knowing how long she will be there??When you give up a dream, you can?t even get out of bed?. Rejuvenated by Barbarah?s letter and a heartening talk with her young daughter, Emilia, Preta is once again inspired to create music and to mend old wounds. Preta and Mayah share a sincere, dramatic reunion when Preta visits her and apologizes for her past actions. The two then encourage Lena to come with them to visit Barbarah in jail, which she agrees to despite her boyfriend?s wishes. Together, they overcome their anguish when they perform together at the prison Barbarah is being detained at. Barbarah is eventually released and the group is whole once again, united on stage?each woman displaying their incredible will to overcome trauma and passion for music.

Antonia takes you into the lives of four extraordinary women, women who never gave up on themselves, each other, or their dream. It is a story of friendship, forgiveness, and a quest to reach for the unattainable. Whether or not you a fan of hip hop, this movie will impact you. The story of these women is so powerful that it breaks language barriers, transcends cultural boundaries, and awakens you to the life and spirit of Brazil. As Marcelo Diamond would say, ?stop being silly and come with me, there is a whole new world I want to show you?.

AFI Film Festival’s website: www.afifest.com

AFI’s official theater, ArcLight Cinema website: www.arclightcinemas.com

CAST
Preta . . . . . . . . . . . singer, NEGRA LI
Barbarah. . . . . . . . . . . singer, LEILAH MORENO
Mayah. . . . . . . . . . .actress, MC, and free-styler, QUELYNAH
Lena. . . . . . . . . . .rapper and dancer, CINDY
Marcelo Diamond. . . . . . . . . . .rapper, THAIDE

A GLOBO FILMES AND CORACAO DA SELVA Production
Directed by. . . . . . . . . . .TATA AMARAL

About the author

Brittany Graham

Brittany Graham is a student at California State University Dominguez Hills, double majoring in Communications and Film and Electronic Media. She is an aspiring entrepreneur, striving to pave a way as a future film-maker/ scriptwriter, clothing designer, actress, photographer, model, and musician/song-writer. She works part time as a proposal writer for non-profit organizations and has worked hard in a variety of careers to pursue her goals. She now assists LA's the Place magazine as an intern to broaden her awareness of the field of journalism as well as provide her with experience in her area of study.