Linha de Passe, a film directed by Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas
Linha de Passe is a movie that shows the huge, depressing, and poisoning reality that is the lives of the majority of Brazilians, and the people of so many other third world countries. A reality where to keep one’s integrity is not only a difficult task… it is in fact an almost impossible one. It’s about this mother (Sandra Carveloni, Best actress in the 61th Cannes Festival 2008 – her first work in cinema) who struggles to keep her kids as a family within this unfair reality.
The city is Sao Paulo, the feeling of the movie is that no matter how much one tries, the poison has spread too far within the veins, and the only taste in one’s mouth is sour and desperately suffocating. The obvious, and understandable reaction is hate, and violence. Civil war.
On a personal note:
On a personal note:I’ve always known that I had been blessed in life. I’ve always known because I’ve always seen that there were too many people around me that were just like me and deserved just the same that I had always had; but they didn’t have it. In which way am I different from them? I am not. They didn’t have enough food, nor education, neither the basic medical and emotional attention and care that for me was always so guaranteed that I’d even take them for granted! No… I was just blessed to have a life that is light…where I could dream. And even though I’ve always known that, many times I have felt somehow unsatisfied thinking that I deserved more.
Every time I watch a movie like Linha De Passe I remember all that, and I tell myself one more time: Vanessa, nothing wrong with feeling that you want more of life…and going after whatever you want. But don’t ever forget how blessed the life that you have is. You already have everything that a person needs to have in order to do whatever you want. Don’t think that this is so obvious… some other people need to fight first for these obvious Rights before they can reach for the chance to go after their dreams….and sometimes this first fight lasts their whole lives…and they never get to pursue a dream…. or worse… this very thing becomes their dream. So be thankful to have been gifted with the possibility to dream.
[video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl4vrUutD90]————
Pictures from top to bottom:
- Screencap from Linha de Passe featuring the four brothers
- Luciana with director Walter Salles
- Vanessa with director Walter Salles
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I was lucky enough to see that film and hear Walter Salles talk. His films (Central Station, Motorcycle Diaries for example) never cease to open my eyes and Linha de Passe is certainly no exception. It was also one of those films that as it started out I didn’t really know what to think about it, but after seeing the whole thing all come together, I came to appreciate the glimpses of a different life it revealed and how fortunate many of us are to not have that little hope in our lives. Two thumbs up. Show de bola.