MANAS
A film by Marianna Brennand
In the depths of the Amazon rainforest, 13-year-old Tielle grows up with dreams inspired by her older sister’s escape. As she matures, the illusions she clings to begin to crumble, revealing a world of deep-rooted exploitation and abuse. Determined to protect her younger sister and reshape their future, she dares to challenge the forces that bind the women in her community, in a poignant exploration of resilience and resistance.
Status: Completed
Year: 2024
Genre: Drama
Country: Brazil, Portugal
Language: Portuguese
Available subtitles: English, Italian
Runtime: 101 min.
Original title: Manas
After graduating with a degree in film at UCSB, Marianna Brennand returned to Brazil to make a documentary about her great-uncle Francisco, a Brazilian artist globally recognized for his ceramic work. Investing in a poetic narrative approach based on her character’s diaries, Francisco Brennand premiered in 2012 and won both Best Brazilian Documentary and Best Brazilian Film at the São Paulo Film Festival. Earlier, in 2007, Brennand directed another documentary, O Coco, a Roda, o Pnêu e o Farol, about the rich musical tradition of “coco de roda” in Olinda, a city in the state of Pernambuco. Manas marks Brennand’s feature film directorial debut and is the result of a ten-year research into the complex and delicate subject of the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and teenagers on Marajó Island, in the Amazon rainforest.
FILMOGRAPHY
2024 Manas
2012 Francisco Brennand (doc)
2007 O Coco, a Roda, o Pnêu e o Farol (doc)
CAST
Jamili Correa
Fátima Macedo
Rômulo Braga
Dira Paes
Emily Pantoja
Samira Eloá
Gabriel Rodrigues
Enzo Maia
CREW
Director: Marianna Brennand
Screenplay: Felipe Sholl, Marcelo Grabowsky, Marianna Brennand, Antonia Pellegrino, Camila Agustini, Carolina Benevides
Cinematography: Pierre de Kerchove
Editing: Isabela Monteiro de Castro
Producer: Carolina Benevides, Marianna Brennand
Executive producer: Carolina Benevides, Marcelo Maximo
Production Companies: Inquietude, Globo Filmes, Canal Brasil, Pródigo, Fado Filmes
2024
Giornate degli Autori | Competition · GdA Director's Award
Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival | National Feature Film Competition
Manas leaves you stunned – for the story it tells, for how it tells it, and for the piercing performances of its actors.
Vittoria Scarpa, Cineuropa
Earnest, heartfelt and genuinely impactful, exploring vital themes in a stunning, compelling manner that will linger with the viewer long after the haunting final moments.
Matthew Joseph Jenner, International Cinephile Society