Antônia
Encyclopedia
Antônia is a 2006 Brazilian drama musical film
which tells the story of Antônia, an Afro-Brazilian
hip-hop girl group
formed by four young women living on a favela
of São Paulo
. On their way to the mainstream success, they have to face with the violence
near their homes and the sexism
of the musical business. The film was directed by Tata Amaral
and stars Negra Li
, Cindy Mendes, Leilah Moreno and Quelynah as the members of the group.
The film had its European premiere January 26, 2007 at the 36th Rotterdam International Film Festival, in the section "Cinema of the World: Time & Tide". It was released commercially in the United States
on September 21, 2007, in New York City
, New York
; Newark, New Jersey
, and Los Angeles, California
.
The movie, spun off from a 2006 short by Amaral, in turn spun off a television series from 02 Filmes and Rede Globo
in the filmmaker's native Brazil, starring the same actors in the same roles.
(shanty town) of São Paulo, four Afro-Brazilian
girls battle to fulfill their dream of making a living off their music. Friends since the childhood, Preta (Negra Li), Bárbarah (Leilah Moreno), Mayah (Jaqueline Simão, as Quelnyah) and Lena (Cindy Mendes, a.k.a. Maria Madalena, as Cindy) quit singing the backing vocals for a male rap group and form Antônia, their own group. Discovered by the smooth-talking manager Marcelo Diamante (Thaíde), they begin to sing rap, MPB
, pop
and soul
in bars and in middle-class parties.
Preta is the deep-voiced mother of a young daughter, Emília (Nathalye Cris). Mayah is the most sexually provocative though single and the high-voiced Lena lives alone with her boyfriend. Bárbarah is the sister of Duda (Chico Santo), an athletic young man with whom she frequently practices martial arts
. Duda's exposed homosexuality
brings a rising action into the story in which his gay partner is killed by a gang and Duda himself injured. Duda, however, recovers; despite this sudden crisis, the future begins to look bright again as the band Antônia begins to take flight.
Just when the dream of the quartet seems to becoming true, their hopes are dashed by daily events, such as poverty
, male oppression, and further street violence, which threaten the group and place the young women's friendship in jeopardy.
The conflict begins when Mayah flirts with Preta's estranged husband Ermano (Fernando Macário), and Preta forces Mayah out of the group, deciding to raise Emília by herself with the help of her parents. Next, Lena reveals that she is pregnant and must quit the group after her boyfriend, who originally wanted an abortion, puts pressure on her to do so if they are to raise the child. Bárbarah, meanwhile, is walking home one night with Preta when she is confronted and harassed by a young member of the same gang who attacked her brother; she defends herself using martial arts, throwing him heavily to the ground and resulting in his hospitalization. The boy dies in the hospital and Bárbarah is arrested and imprisoned for manslaughter
.
Preta, who struggles with her own personal troubles and the strain of raising her child alone, is the final member of Antônia left. At last unable to feel any desire to continue the group or rise to fame (as Marcelo enourages) if her friends cannot be with her, she goes to Mayah's house to apologize and reconcile. They, along with Lena, visit a grateful, teary-eyed Bárbarah in prison; they decide to spend their time with her writing a song about their experiences.
The scene changes to some point in the future in which all four members of Antônia are back together, singing onstage a liberation-themed song, Antônia.
. The New York Times
wrote that the film "explores cultural and sexual oppression with sensitivity and verve. The story may lack complexity, but it is loaded with irrepressible energy and a deep appreciation of female friendship". Variety
called it, "less a candy-coated inspirational pill and more a piece of solid dramatic fiction".
, "the leading lady of Brazilian funk", and Thobias da Vai-Vai, a leading samba
performer.
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
which tells the story of Antônia, an Afro-Brazilian
Afro-Brazilian
In Brazil, the term "preto" is one of the five categories used by the Brazilian Census, along with "branco" , "pardo" , "amarelo" and "indígena"...
hip-hop girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
formed by four young women living on a favela
Favela
A favela is the generally used term for a shanty town in Brazil. In the late 18th century, the first settlements were called bairros africanos . This was the place where former slaves with no land ownership and no options for work lived. Over the years, many freed black slaves moved in...
of São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
. On their way to the mainstream success, they have to face with the violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
near their homes and the sexism
Sexism
Sexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
of the musical business. The film was directed by Tata Amaral
Tata Amaral
Tata Amaral born in 1961 in São Paulo is an award winning Brazilian director, writer, producer and actor. She has won various awards across South America, including 'Best director' and 'Best film'.-References:...
and stars Negra Li
Negra Li
Negra Li is a Brazilian actress, singer and dancer. She was one of the lead actresses in the 2006 musical drama film Antônia.- Discography :-References:...
, Cindy Mendes, Leilah Moreno and Quelynah as the members of the group.
The film had its European premiere January 26, 2007 at the 36th Rotterdam International Film Festival, in the section "Cinema of the World: Time & Tide". It was released commercially in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on September 21, 2007, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
; Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, and Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
The movie, spun off from a 2006 short by Amaral, in turn spun off a television series from 02 Filmes and Rede Globo
Rede Globo
Rede Globo , or simply Globo, is a Brazilian television network, launched by media mogul Roberto Marinho on April 26, 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Organizações Globo, being by far the largest of its holdings...
in the filmmaker's native Brazil, starring the same actors in the same roles.
Plot
On Vila Brasilândia, a favelaFavela
A favela is the generally used term for a shanty town in Brazil. In the late 18th century, the first settlements were called bairros africanos . This was the place where former slaves with no land ownership and no options for work lived. Over the years, many freed black slaves moved in...
(shanty town) of São Paulo, four Afro-Brazilian
Afro-Brazilian
In Brazil, the term "preto" is one of the five categories used by the Brazilian Census, along with "branco" , "pardo" , "amarelo" and "indígena"...
girls battle to fulfill their dream of making a living off their music. Friends since the childhood, Preta (Negra Li), Bárbarah (Leilah Moreno), Mayah (Jaqueline Simão, as Quelnyah) and Lena (Cindy Mendes, a.k.a. Maria Madalena, as Cindy) quit singing the backing vocals for a male rap group and form Antônia, their own group. Discovered by the smooth-talking manager Marcelo Diamante (Thaíde), they begin to sing rap, MPB
Música Popular Brasileira
Música Popular Brasileira or MPB designates a trend in post-Bossa Nova urban popular music. It is not a discrete genre but rather a constellation that combines original songwriting and updated versions of traditional Brazilian urban music styles like samba and samba-canção with contemporary...
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
in bars and in middle-class parties.
Preta is the deep-voiced mother of a young daughter, Emília (Nathalye Cris). Mayah is the most sexually provocative though single and the high-voiced Lena lives alone with her boyfriend. Bárbarah is the sister of Duda (Chico Santo), an athletic young man with whom she frequently practices martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
. Duda's exposed homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
brings a rising action into the story in which his gay partner is killed by a gang and Duda himself injured. Duda, however, recovers; despite this sudden crisis, the future begins to look bright again as the band Antônia begins to take flight.
Just when the dream of the quartet seems to becoming true, their hopes are dashed by daily events, such as poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
, male oppression, and further street violence, which threaten the group and place the young women's friendship in jeopardy.
The conflict begins when Mayah flirts with Preta's estranged husband Ermano (Fernando Macário), and Preta forces Mayah out of the group, deciding to raise Emília by herself with the help of her parents. Next, Lena reveals that she is pregnant and must quit the group after her boyfriend, who originally wanted an abortion, puts pressure on her to do so if they are to raise the child. Bárbarah, meanwhile, is walking home one night with Preta when she is confronted and harassed by a young member of the same gang who attacked her brother; she defends herself using martial arts, throwing him heavily to the ground and resulting in his hospitalization. The boy dies in the hospital and Bárbarah is arrested and imprisoned for manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
.
Preta, who struggles with her own personal troubles and the strain of raising her child alone, is the final member of Antônia left. At last unable to feel any desire to continue the group or rise to fame (as Marcelo enourages) if her friends cannot be with her, she goes to Mayah's house to apologize and reconcile. They, along with Lena, visit a grateful, teary-eyed Bárbarah in prison; they decide to spend their time with her writing a song about their experiences.
The scene changes to some point in the future in which all four members of Antônia are back together, singing onstage a liberation-themed song, Antônia.
Reception
The film scored a 93% positive rating at the film critic aggregate site Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
wrote that the film "explores cultural and sexual oppression with sensitivity and verve. The story may lack complexity, but it is loaded with irrepressible energy and a deep appreciation of female friendship". Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
called it, "less a candy-coated inspirational pill and more a piece of solid dramatic fiction".
Cast
The cast includes real-life Brazilian rap singers Negra Li and Thaide; black-music singer Leilah Moreno; actress, MC, and free style rapper Cindy, and rapper-dancer Quelynah. Appearing in one scene each, as Preta's parents, are Sandra de SáSandra de Sá
Sandra de Sá is a Brazilian composer and singer.-Studio albums:* Demônio Colorido * Sandra Sá * Vale Tudo * Sandra Sá * Sandra de Sá...
, "the leading lady of Brazilian funk", and Thobias da Vai-Vai, a leading samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
performer.
- Preta - Negra Li
- Lena - Cindy Mendes, a.k.a. Maria Madalena (as Cindy)
- Barbarah - Leilah Moreno
- Mayah - Jaqueline Simão (as Quelynah)
- Dante - Marcus Vinicius Kamau
- DJ Anjo - DJ Negro Rico
- DJ Cocão - DJ Hadji
- Marcelo Diamante - Thaíde
- Apresentador show - Adielson Bonam
- Ermano - Fernando Macário
- Eduardo "Duda" de Souza - Chico Santo
- JP - Maionezi
- Robinho - Ezequiel Da Silva
- Emília - Nathalye Cris
- Grupo Black Gero - Black Gero, Bira Black, DJ Celo
- M.C. Brasilândia - Max B.O.
- Z'Africa Brasil - M.C. Gaspar, Fernandinho Beat Box, Funk Buia, Dj Tano, Pitcho
- Coral Evangélico - Paola Lúcio, Carmelita Moren, Creuza Vangelista, André Mota, Nestor, Paixão De Jesus, Patrick Rocha
- Mãe De Preta - Sandra de Sá
- Pai De Preta - Thobias da Vai-Vai
- Barão - Barão H.C.
- Hot-Dog vendor- Luana A-T.A.L.
- Noivo - Júlio Machado
- Roberta - Odara Carvalho
- Doctor - Cláudio Galperin
- Musician – Silveira
- Zé - Valnei Damacena
- Talarico - Hébano
- Taxi Driver - Zenóbio Fernandes