Sabrina Fidalgo and Yvan Rodic’s documentary O Projeto is screening at São Paulo’s film festival after beginning its festival journey in Gramado. Its route through Brazil, Germany and Switzerland combines archives, personal interviews and poetic passages. Participants include Grada Kilomba and Djamila Ribeiro as the film explores colonialism’s continuing effects. Its Brazilian theatrical release has been announced for 19 November.
O Projeto, jointly directed by Brazilian filmmaker Sabrina Fidalgo and Swiss photographer Yvan Rodic, is part of São Paulo’s film festival programme. Fidalgo’s first feature documentary continues a festival journey that began in Gramado. The São Paulo programme announced screenings of the film on 22 and 27 October.[1], [2]
The film travels through countries including Brazil, Germany and Switzerland to explore colonialism’s continuing effects. Its directors combine archival material with personal interviews and poetic passages. Grada Kilomba and Djamila Ribeiro are among those interviewed in the film. Fidalgo and Rodic’s own backgrounds are also part of the account: one is a Black Brazilian woman, the other a white Swiss man.[1]
The filmmakers describe bringing shared cultural references and different personal experiences to the project. Development began during the early pandemic. Travel restrictions meant its initial years involved extended conversations among the directors, producers and other collaborators. Fidalgo also identified reduced cultural funding in Brazil during that period as a difficulty in developing the film.[1]
The Brazilian theatrical release of O Projeto has been announced for 19 November. The producers include Gullane, Fidalgo Produções, Globo Filmes and Canal Brasil, in association with Yvan Rodic Media. Director Laís Bodanzky joined as associate producer. Le Fonds de Dotation agnès b, the support fund founded by fashion designer Agnès Troublé, backed a Brazilian film for the first time through this project. Walter Salles is also among its supporters.[1]
