2024-02-22 21:36:52
A class on the creative process in documentaries! This is the summary of the third day of Orientation Week with the presence of Ricardo Calildirector and screenwriter of major productions such as Vale o Escrito – A Guerra do Jogo do Bicho e In the name of Godboth available on Globoplay.
The public was interested in his new work, the history of Jogo do Bicho in the 70s in Rio de Janeiro and how this practice, prohibited by law, clashes with crime and carnival. Calil shared his experiences as a journalist and documentary filmmaker, also discussing preparing for interviews and the sources from which he gets new stories.
Relationship between Journalism and Documentary
Graduated in Journalism, Ricardo has a perspective that highlights documentary as a language more focused on cinema than journalism. Calil argues that the essence of journalism lies in information, while documentaries aim to provide an experience to the viewer, whether in a dramaturgical, aesthetic or narrative way.
“On the one hand, the journalist has a desire to delve into, research and understand specific topics, demonstrating organization of thought and construction of an agenda with important aspects. However, during interviews it is different: in a documentary you don’t have an agenda to follow, you need to listen to the person and be ready to accept silence. Silence, little valued in journalism, gains prominence in documentaries, it is the moment in which the viewer processes emotion.”
In contrast, both documentaries and journalism carry a different responsibility than fiction: ethics. For Ricardo, professionals who deal with real people and events cannot betray them, as lives are impacted by what is narrated.
What was it like structuring the narrative of Vale o Escrito – A Guerra do Jogo do Bicho?
According to Ricardo, the initial idea consisted of one episode per family. However, with the research and interviews carried out, they realized the need to highlight the Garcia family as the guiding thread of the narrative. Furthermore, a first-person approach was planned, where the story of the game would be narrated by the bicheiros themselves, instead of experts or narrators.
During post-production, the material was brought closer to fictional dramaturgy, analyzing the arc of each character, the turning points in each episode and the protagonists. “I was very happy to realize that people consumed the series as a work of fiction, with several comparisons with The Godfather, Sand women e Succession”.
In order to make the narrative more engaging and ensure that the audience did not get lost in the plot, the team chose to include narration and visual resources. “We resisted the idea of having a narration, but some stories fell into place after it came, making the story more electrifying. In addition to visual resources such as falling frames, maps and roulette wheels, so that people could follow the flow of the narrative”.
How to prepare for documentary interviews?
As a documentary filmmaker, his reference in school and language is Eduardo Coutinho, one of his techniques being rigorous preparation, obtaining all the information about the interviewee and the story at hand. However, at the time of the interview, it is essential to put it aside and simply listen, keeping full attention and listening to the interviewee.
“Eye to eye, team concentrated and silent, listening to what the interviewee is saying. Being heard is very precious for the person giving the interview; people want to be listened to carefully”, highlights Calil.
Calil highlighted that in documentary language, not only social events, crime or hot topics are relevant to telling the story. He spoke of the importance of other issues being addressed. “In the Vale o Escrito interviews we indicated conversations about the characters’ personal lives, we wanted to know about their relationship with their children, their family, carnival. We were not just interested in the urgent matters, but in the human drama that these people offered.”
How do you interview people who are criminals and have murders on their record? Did you ever feel scared?
Ricardo commented that, unlike other works, the team had plenty of time to establish contact with the interviewees, prepare them and explain the project. Additionally, he mentioned that other people would give interviews, emphasizing the importance of listening to everyone involved in the story. He shared that there were cases where an interviewee took up to 1 year to agree to participate. With regard to personal judgment, Ricardo highlighted the need to block judgments.
“Everything was widely discussed; They were aware that we were not there to judge or condemn them. I try to block out moral judgments as much as possible. I just want to listen to them, even when they are talking about crimes”, shared Ricardo.
What is it like to produce for Streaming?
Ricardo accumulated experience with two productions for Globoplay, joining Pedro Bial’s documentary group. For him, this partnership generated greater trust in the platform, requesting a more concise ‘bible’. Despite this, negotiations took place during production when they realized that the story was following a different path than initially proposed.
However, he notes that international platforms, such as Prime Video, Netflix and HBO+, have different approaches, requiring a more detailed ‘bible’. At Globoplay, I felt no limitations regarding the theme or approach. I hope this doesn’t change, as the market is moving towards a new format.”
Where to find stories for documentaries?
When it comes to finding stories for documentaries, Calil emphasizes that there is no hard and fast rule. In case of Cinema Moroccohis interest was piqued when he read a news story about the occupation of refugees in a cinema in São Paulo, where in the past it was one of the most luxurious in Latin America and the stage for the first São Paulo International Film Festival.
Furthermore, Calil highlights that some productions emerged from reading biographies, such as I am Carlos Imperial. Other opportunities arose through invitations from other directors who already had a story ready.
Documentary Class open to the Public
On March 9th, AIC begins the Semiannual Documentary Course. From 9:30 in the morning, those interested in documentaries were invited, during the lecture, to an open and free class, where documentaries made at AIC will be presented.
Orientation Week
This Thursday (22) we welcomed the last speaker of Orientation Week.
Thursday, 02/22 – Heitor Dhalia
5pm showing of “The Smell of the Drain”
7pm chat with the Director
Sign up, it’s free and limited.
*Text Caroline Cherulli and Photos Victor Poncioni.
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