Cannes, May 24, 2019–Brazilian filmmaker Karim Aïnouz’s The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao is the winner of the top Prize of Un Certain Regard at the 2019 Cannes Film Fest.
The Un Certain Regard Jury was composed of director and actress Nadine Labaki (jury president), directors Lukas Dhont and Lisandro Alonso, French actress Marina Fois and German producer Nurhan Sekerci-Porst.
This is the seventh feature directed by Karim Aïnouz, whose celebrated first feature Madame Satã premiered as an official Cannes selection in 2002.
The film offers a sweeping chronicle of two sisters struggling to define themselves in the machista culture of midcentury Brazil.
It was greeted with a 15 minute standing ovation at its world premiere at the festival on May 20.
The film’s award marks the first major award to be given to a Brazilian film in the Cannes Fest official selection for 50 years (Glauber Rocha’s 1969 competition film Antonio das Mortes received best director).
“To have a Brazilian film in Cannes during the political crisis we are going through is very important for our country,” said the film’s producer Rodrigo Teixera of RT Features. “It serves to show how all the investment in education and culture does not go unnoticed and it is urgent that we keep strongly supporting our artists. The Prize of Un Certain Regard is a huge additional honor.”
The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao stars Carol Duarte, Julia Stockler, Bárbara Santos and Gregório Duvivier, with a special appearance by screen legend Fernanda Montenegro (Central Station).
Inspired by the novel of the same name by Martha Batalha, the screenplay was written by Murilo Hauser and co-written by Inés Bortagaray and Karim.