O Ano em que Meus Pais Saíram de Férias
Encyclopedia
The Year My Parents Went on Vacation is a 2006
Brazilian
drama film
directed by Cao Hamburger
. The screenplay, which took four years to be completed, was written by Hamburger, Adriana Falcão
, Claudio Galperin, Anna Muylaert and Bráulio Mantovani
.
It was submitted by the Ministry of Culture
for the 2007 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
. This choice was unexpected, since it was thought that José Padilha
's The Elite Squad would be submitted.
. Mauro (Michel Joelsas), a 12-year old boy, is suddenly deprived of the company of his young parents, Bia and Daniel Stein (Simone Spoladore
and Eduardo Moreira), who are political activists on the run from the harsh military government, which was strongly repressing leftists all over the country. Against this backdrop of fear and political persecution, the country is at the same time bursting with enthusiasm for the coming World Cup
, to be held in Mexico
, the first one to be transmitted live via satellite
.
Unable to take care of their only child, the Steins, who live in Belo Horizonte
, drive all the way to São Paulo to deliver the boy to his paternal grandfather, Mótel (Paulo Autran
), who is a barber
. To their son, they say they will travel on vacation and promise to return for the World Cup games. Unfortunately, however, the grandfather dies on the same day the boy arrives, and he is left clueless and without support in Bom Retiro, a working-class neighborhood inhabited mainly by Jewish people, many of whom speak Yiddish, an unknown language to the boy. As his father is Jewish, the close-knit Bom Retiro community rally in support of the child and Shlomo (Germano Haiut), a solitary elder and religious Jew who was a close neighbor and friend of Mauro's grandfather, assumes the care of Mauro.
Mauro is a football
enthusiast and wants to be a goalkeeper. He gradually mixes in with other neighborhood children and becomes acquainted with a number of colorful characters, including Hanna (Daniela Piepszyk), a girl his age; Ítalo (Caio Blat
), a politically-active student from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo
; Irene (Liliana Castro
), a beautiful female bartender and her boyfriend, the mulatto
ace goalkeeper of one of the local football teams; the local rabbi
and assorted Jewish elders, Italian
immigrants, and so on.
To Mauro's great disappointment, his parents neither appear as promised at the World Cup nor give any notice. Fearing the worst, Shlomo starts to investigate by himself and is arrested by the political police because of his meddling. Finally, he achieves the liberation of Mauro's mother, who is severely ill after the prison term. Her reunion with her child happens in the very same day of Brazil's final victory at the World Cup. (Mauro's father disappears while in the dictatorship's clutches, never to return.) At the end of the film, Mauro says farewell to his recent friends and playmates as he and his mother leave Bom Retiro and prepare to go into exile.
s and professors of the University of São Paulo
, were briefly arrested by the military in the same year of 1970, accused of lending support to "subversives". The couple's five children-including Cao Hamburger, the director, who was 8 at the time-came under the care of their grandmothers, one Jewish and another Italian Catholic.
, 83% of critics gave The Year My Parents Went On Vacation a positive review (43 "Fresh"; 9 "Rotten"), with an average rating of 7.1/10.
Deborah Young of Variety
hailed the film as "sensitive, delicate and involving", going on to say that "Hamburger feels no need (nor is there any) to underline the obvious. He has a magician's ability to keep the story light and believable". It also notes that "the humorous central part of the screenplay is bereft of surprises".
The film has been picked as Brazil's submission for the 2007 Academy Award
for Best Foreign Language Film
(and was shortlisted alongside nine other films), and was released on February 8, 2008 in the United States
and Canada.
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
Brazilian
Cinema of Brazil
Brazilian cinema was introduced early in the 20th century but took some time to consolidate itself as a popular form of entertainment. The film industry of Brazil has gone through periods of ups and downs, a reflection of its dependency on State funding and incentives.- Early days :A couple of...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Cao Hamburger
Cao Hamburger
Carlos Imperio Hamburger , or, simply, Cao Hamburger, is a Brazilian screenwriter and director of movies and TV. He is the creator of the Castelo Rá-Tim-Bum series of programs for children in the TV Cultura of São Paulo, which gave origin also to a successful movie picture with the same title...
. The screenplay, which took four years to be completed, was written by Hamburger, Adriana Falcão
Adriana Falcão
Adriana Falcão is an Academy Award-nominated Brazilian screenwriter.-Life:Graduated in Architecture, but never exercised the function. Born in Rio, and moved to Recife at 11 years old...
, Claudio Galperin, Anna Muylaert and Bráulio Mantovani
Bráulio Mantovani
Bráulio Mantovani is a Brazilian screenwriter.Graduated in Portuguese Language and Literature by the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, he began his career writing professionally for theatre groups in 1987...
.
It was submitted by the Ministry of Culture
Ministry of Culture (Brazil)
The Ministry of Culture of Brazil was created in 1985.-External links:*...
for the 2007 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
. This choice was unexpected, since it was thought that José Padilha
José Padilha
José Padilha is an award-winning Brazilian film director and producer.Padilha emerged onto the Brazilian movie scene with his first feature film Bus 174. In 2007, Padilha directed The Elite Squad , his first fictional film. The film was a commercial and critical success, seen by more than 11...
's The Elite Squad would be submitted.
Plot
The story takes place entirely during a few months in 1970, in the city of São PauloSão 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...
. Mauro (Michel Joelsas), a 12-year old boy, is suddenly deprived of the company of his young parents, Bia and Daniel Stein (Simone Spoladore
Simone Spoladore
Simone Spoladore is a Brazilian actress. Her first character was Ana, from the Brazilian movie Lavoura Arcaica , a girl who falls in love with her brother, André. Ana does not say a word during the film. She expresses herself in her own way: through her eyes and her dance...
and Eduardo Moreira), who are political activists on the run from the harsh military government, which was strongly repressing leftists all over the country. Against this backdrop of fear and political persecution, the country is at the same time bursting with enthusiasm for the coming World Cup
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
, to be held in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the first one to be transmitted live via satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
.
Unable to take care of their only child, the Steins, who live in Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third largest metropolitan area in the country...
, drive all the way to São Paulo to deliver the boy to his paternal grandfather, Mótel (Paulo Autran
Paulo Autran
Paulo Autran was a Brazilian film and theater actor. His accomplishments during his life earned him the nickname, "Lord of the Stage."-Biography:...
), who is a barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
. To their son, they say they will travel on vacation and promise to return for the World Cup games. Unfortunately, however, the grandfather dies on the same day the boy arrives, and he is left clueless and without support in Bom Retiro, a working-class neighborhood inhabited mainly by Jewish people, many of whom speak Yiddish, an unknown language to the boy. As his father is Jewish, the close-knit Bom Retiro community rally in support of the child and Shlomo (Germano Haiut), a solitary elder and religious Jew who was a close neighbor and friend of Mauro's grandfather, assumes the care of Mauro.
Mauro is a football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
enthusiast and wants to be a goalkeeper. He gradually mixes in with other neighborhood children and becomes acquainted with a number of colorful characters, including Hanna (Daniela Piepszyk), a girl his age; Ítalo (Caio Blat
Caio Blat
For other uses of the term, see CaioCaio Blat de Oliveira is a Brazilian stage, television and film actor. He studied Law at USP, one of the biggest universities in Brazil, but dropped out because of his acting career...
), a politically-active student from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo
Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo
The Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo and popular known as simply PUC or the Catholic University is a private and non-profit Catholic university. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Brazilian universities...
; Irene (Liliana Castro
Liliana Castro
Liliana Rezende de Castro is an Ecuadorian-born Brazilian actress. She was born in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, due to her father's job as a diplomat. Her family also lived in Italy and Venezuela, before relocating to Brazil. She began acting at ten years old and, realizing that it was her true...
), a beautiful female bartender and her boyfriend, the mulatto
Mulatto
Mulatto denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent, or more broadly, a person of mixed black and white ancestry. Contemporary usage of the term varies greatly, and the broader sense of the term makes its application rather subjective, as not all people of mixed white and black...
ace goalkeeper of one of the local football teams; the local rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
and assorted Jewish elders, Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
immigrants, and so on.
To Mauro's great disappointment, his parents neither appear as promised at the World Cup nor give any notice. Fearing the worst, Shlomo starts to investigate by himself and is arrested by the political police because of his meddling. Finally, he achieves the liberation of Mauro's mother, who is severely ill after the prison term. Her reunion with her child happens in the very same day of Brazil's final victory at the World Cup. (Mauro's father disappears while in the dictatorship's clutches, never to return.) At the end of the film, Mauro says farewell to his recent friends and playmates as he and his mother leave Bom Retiro and prepare to go into exile.
Cast
- Michel Joelsas as Mauro
- Germano Haiut as Shlomo
- Daniela Piepszyk as Hanna
- Caio BlatCaio BlatFor other uses of the term, see CaioCaio Blat de Oliveira is a Brazilian stage, television and film actor. He studied Law at USP, one of the biggest universities in Brazil, but dropped out because of his acting career...
as Ítalo - Liliana CastroLiliana CastroLiliana Rezende de Castro is an Ecuadorian-born Brazilian actress. She was born in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, due to her father's job as a diplomat. Her family also lived in Italy and Venezuela, before relocating to Brazil. She began acting at ten years old and, realizing that it was her true...
as Irene - Paulo AutranPaulo AutranPaulo Autran was a Brazilian film and theater actor. His accomplishments during his life earned him the nickname, "Lord of the Stage."-Biography:...
as Mótel, Mauro's grandfather - Simone SpoladoreSimone SpoladoreSimone Spoladore is a Brazilian actress. Her first character was Ana, from the Brazilian movie Lavoura Arcaica , a girl who falls in love with her brother, André. Ana does not say a word during the film. She expresses herself in her own way: through her eyes and her dance...
as Bia, Mauro's mother - Eduardo Moreira as Daniel, Mauro's father
Production
The film is semi-autobiographical: the director's parents, a couple of physicistPhysicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
s and professors of the University of São Paulo
University of São Paulo
Universidade de São Paulo is a public university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is the largest Brazilian university and one of the country's most prestigious...
, were briefly arrested by the military in the same year of 1970, accused of lending support to "subversives". The couple's five children-including Cao Hamburger, the director, who was 8 at the time-came under the care of their grandmothers, one Jewish and another Italian Catholic.
Critical reception
The film has received mostly positive reviews. Based on 52 reviews collected by the film review aggregator 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...
, 83% of critics gave The Year My Parents Went On Vacation a positive review (43 "Fresh"; 9 "Rotten"), with an average rating of 7.1/10.
Deborah Young of 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...
hailed the film as "sensitive, delicate and involving", going on to say that "Hamburger feels no need (nor is there any) to underline the obvious. He has a magician's ability to keep the story light and believable". It also notes that "the humorous central part of the screenplay is bereft of surprises".
The film has been picked as Brazil's submission for the 2007 Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
(and was shortlisted alongside nine other films), and was released on February 8, 2008 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada.
Awards and nominations
- Audience Award - 2006 Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival
- Best Film - 2006 São Paulo International Film FestivalSão Paulo International Film FestivalThe São Paulo International Film Festival is a film festival held annually in São Paulo, Brazil since 1976. In 2004 Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami was a member of the jury.-International Jury Award:*2001: The New Country ...
- Audience Award - 2007 Lima International Film Festival, Peru
- Special Jury Award - 2006 São Paulo International Film Festival
- Best Cinematography - 2007 ABC Cinematography Award
- Best Art Direction - 2007 ABC Cinematography Award
- Best Young Performer - 2007 Young Artist Awards
- Best Editing - 2007 ABC Cinematography Award
- Best Sound - 2007 ABC Cinematography Award
- Best Screenplay - 2007 São Paulo Association of Art Critics Awards
- Golden Bear (Nominated) - 2007 Berlin International Film FestivalBerlin International Film FestivalThe Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...