Um Beijo para Gabriela

Sinopse: Gabriela Leite é a primeira prostituta de que se tem notícia a concorrer a um cargo eletivo no Congresso brasileiro. “Um Beijo para Gabriela” segue de perto a campanha a deputada federal empreendida por ela contra 822 oponentes em 2010, na qual enfrentou os desafios de um sistema político dominado pelo gênero masculino,para ver se uma prostituta, ativista, esposa, mãe e ícone cultural poderia contrariar a norma e vencer as eleições.

A atividade da prostituta não é ilegal no Brasil, embora o gerenciamento da prostituição, como a posse de um bordel, seja criminalizado, e a profissão sofra de forte estigmatização. Gabriela Leite vem se dedicando a mudar esse contexto há 30 anos, por meio do mais conhecido e controverso movimento de ativismo sexual do país, o de defesa dos direitos das prostitutas, fundado por ela em 1987. Autora de duas autobiografias, a segunda encenada no teatro e em adaptação para o cinema, Gabriela ganhou em 2005 o status de ícone cultural ao criar uma bem-sucedida linha de roupas, a grife Daspu, para promover os direitos das prostitutas e levantar recursos para a organização não-governamental que dirige, Davida.

O documentário acompanha a jornada de Gabriela como líder carismática, por meio de um estilo observador, garantido pelo acesso irrestrito concedido por ela à diretora. No belo e sedutor cenário do Rio de Janeiro, repleto de pôsteres de candidatos homens e brancos, principalmente, a protagonista surge fazendo sua própria campanha, recusando a oferta de um pastor evangélico de captar votos em sua comunidade em troca de dinheiro, cozinhando para o marido, cantando seus sambas favoritos, trabalhando sozinha tarde da noite e chorando ao votar em si própria pela primeira vez. O filme é um retrato intimista de uma mulher marcante cujos motivos de notoriedade e proeminência são os mesmos que tornam remota a possibilidade de sua eleição.

Embora a ativista não tenha sido eleita, em “Um beijo para Gabriela” percebemos que o importante para mulheres como ela, que desafiam estereótipos, não é ganhar ou perder, mas ter a oportunidade de entrar em campo e jogar.

Vencedor do “Best Documentary Pitch” no Fusion Film Festival em Nova Iorque em marco do 2011. Para maiores informações, escreva para laura (at) akissforgabriela.com

Diretora: Amiga de Gabriela desde 2004, a diretora Laura Murray trabalha com grupos internacionais que defendem os direitos das prostitutas como cineasta, ativista e pesquisadora desde 2000. Este é o seu terceiro projeto de documentário sobre sexualidade no Brasil. Laura cursa doutorado em antropologia da medicina na Universidade Colúmbia, escrevendo seu tese sobre ativismo relacionado à prostituição no Brasil.

Equipe. “Um Beijo para Gabriela” é uma co-produção de Rattapallax e Miríade Filmes. O produtor executivo do filme, Ram Devineni, produz filmes exibidos em festivais internacionais de prestígio e é editor e publisher da Rattapallax, uma editora e produtora sem fins lucrativos. Cheryl Furjanic, a produtora, é uma cineasta premiada que, há mais de uma década, leciona produção de vídeo-documentário na New York University. A produtora associada, Beatriz Seigner de Miríade Filmes em São Paulo, é a diretora, produtora e roteirista do filme celebrado pela critica brasileira e internacional, “Bollywood Dream – O Sonho Bollywodiano”. A produção da finalização do filme esta sendo coordenado pela produtora Larissa Bery, de Bruta Flor Produções no Rio de Janeiro.

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Salt in the Air (cіль y повітрі)

Synopsis: Salt is famously “the only rock eaten by humans.” It’s also the only rock inhaled by humans for health benefits. SALT IN THE AIR, a feature-length documentary film, will tell the stories of salt miners, mine engineers, doctors, asthma patients and residents of a small Ukrainian village called Solotvyno, which is located deep in the Carpathian Mountains on the border of Romania. A 2,000 year old salt mine exists beneath the town with salt so pure that inhaling it can virtually cure asthma in children. Today, the salt mine is collapsing, the asthma clinics are troubled, the miners have held protests, and the mine director has been fired. Tensions are rising. On May 19, 2011, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych announced that he would “take all necessary measures” to rectify the environmental crisis at the salt mine in Solotvyno, though few believe his claim.

But the subject of salt is larger than salt mining and this environmental crisis in the Carpathian Mountains, and it’s more mysterious. As an icon for life’s wonderful and terrifying magnificence, salt has been equated with the soul and noted as a possible source of life itself. Alchemists claimed it was a combination of water and congealed fire. This reification of a vital material substance presents us with a visceral example of our dependence on the Earth and a reflection of what it means to be human. Similar to air and water, salt is the Earth made palatable or ingestible. While presenting a portrait of a mining town, SALT IN THE AIR will also trace the connection between a huge deposit of salt deep underground and the fragile lungs of an asthmatic child who walks through a small village, far above on the Earth’s surface.

SALT IN THE AIR is nothing less than a story about life, with salt as the centerpiece. The characters engage in conversations about mining, childhood, industry, betrayal, capitalism, corruption, food, health, air and life. SALT IN THE AIR is at once about a small town dealing with profound change and a large question about the meaning of salt to all living beings and to the Earth. In an interview recorded for SALT IN THE AIR, beloved poet Oleh Lysheha tells us, “Salt all the time reminds us of human memory, tears and the bitter taste of great happiness.” Status: Post-production.

ENRICO ROSSINI CULLEN is a film director, producer and writer. He is currently directing a long-form documentary titled SALT IN THE AIR and exec-producing THE HUMAN TOWER. Enrico co-produced PUSHING THE ELEPHANT (2010), which premiered at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in New York and was broadcast on Independent Lens in March 2011. He was a producer for AN ENCOUNTER WITH SIMONE WEIL (2010), which premiered in competition at IDFA in 2010. He was a consulting producer for ELECTION DAY (POV 2008) and ARCTIC SON (POV 2007). He edited AMAZING GRACE (2004) and HANGING (2004) with artist Wangechi Mutu and he wrote, directed and edited THE MISADVENTURE OF 95 (2005), an original short narrative. He holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin and the University of Chicago.

Mao & Ram

MAO & RAM is a marriage of two mega-super powers, CHINA and INDIA, as they battle for cultural supremacy of the world. In order to appease the emerging “Cold War,” the Indian cultural icon, RAM, travels to Beijing to commission a random local street artists to create a clay bust of his head next to China’s cultural icon, Chairman MAO. Both heads then take a honeymoon trip to the Great Wall. Will there be peace between two disparate societies?

Available for syndication. Shot on the Canon 7d.
NTSC. Full HD. 5 minutes.

Pigeon Keepers of Bushwick

Trailer

Look up from the busy hectic streets of New York City life, and you will see a flock of purebred pigeons flying in circles around an abandoned tenement building in Bushwick. Their aerial acrobatics are guided by their keeper, a street-wise Puerto Rico man nicknamed 2Tone. On the other end of Brooklyn, Goodwin and his pal, Super 13, tend their pigeon coop and flock of 300 birds. Each one trying to lure each other’s pigeons away in order to get bragging rights. The keepers are “animal freaks,” as Super 13 calls himself. They love all animals, but are enamored by pigeons. Pigeon keeping is an art that has been around for centuries and practiced all over the world. In the past, pigeon coops were all over New York City, but have been relegated to obscure parts of the outer Burroughs.

PIGEON KEEPERS OF BUSHWICK is a beautifully shot documentary designed for online news and cultural publications. The film is told through the voices and perspectives of the pigeon keepers and brings the audience into this obscure and dying culture in New York City. The video is inspired by a series of stunning photos by Chris Arnade, which are also available for syndication.

Available for syndication. Shot on the Canon 5d.
NTSC. Full HD. 9 minutes.

“A true pigeon-man will never give it up, and that’s the god’s honest truth. Even if its one bird in a box in a corner somewhere. As long as he has one bird, and that’s the bird he loves, he is content with that.” — 2Tone

Photo spread featured in COLORS magazine.

Featuring 2Tone, Super 13 & Goodwin
Producers: Ram Devineni, Ashok Sinha & Martina Sönksen
Camera: Ashok Sinha & Ram Devineni
Director & Editor: Ram Devineni
Executive Producer and Camera Stills: Chris Arnade
Rattapallax. All rights reserved.