ENG DossierPresse FilmJoaoGilberto GG5 · Where are you, João Gilberto? Is a full-length...

AdocumentaryfilmbyGeorgesGachot

Switzerland,GermanyandFrance,2018|Duration:107minutes

PressKit

www.hobalala-film.com

Facebook:www.facebook.com/JoaoGilbertoFilm/

Press Kit Whereareyou,JoãoGilberto?

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CONTENTS

TECHNICALINFORMATION....................................................................................................................................3

SYNOPSIS..............................................................................................................................................................3

DIRECTOR’SNOTE.................................................................................................................................................5

FILMCREW...........................................................................................................................................................7

LEADINGFIGURESINTHEFILM..............................................................................................................................7

JOÃOGILBERTO–THEINVENTOROFBOSSANOVA...............................................................................................8

MARCFISCHER–REPORTERANDAUTHOR............................................................................................................9

THEDIRECTOR-GEORGESGACHOT....................................................................................................................10

INTERNATIONALPRESSEXCERPTS.......................................................................................................................12

INTERNATIONALSALES.......................................................................................................................................13

CONTACTS..........................................................................................................................................................13


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TECHNICALINFORMATIONLanguages: Originallanguages:German,Portuguese,French,English Subtitlesoptions:French/German/EnglishDuration: 107minutesFormat: 1.85:1Camera: Amira(ARRI)Countriesofproduction: Switzerland(principalproducer)/Germany/FranceYearofproduction: 2018

SYNOPSIS“GirlfromIpanema”,“ChegadeSaudade”,“Corcovado”:theseclassicBossaNovasongswillforeverremaininternationalsuccessesofLatinAmericanmusic.Thisoriginalmusicwasinventedbyamanknowntheworldoverforhisguitarandvoice,amanwhonoonehasheardfromforaverylongtime.JoãoGilbertohasbeenlivinginhidinginahotelroominRiodeJaneiroformorethanadecade.Whothenisthisman?


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Whereareyou,JoãoGilberto?Isafull-lengthdocumentaryfilmadaptedfromthebookHobalala,byMarcFischer,aGermanreporterandwriter.Inhisbook,Fischerrecountsthestoryofhisobsessionalsearchforthelastgreatestmusiclegendofourtime,theBrazilianmusicianJoãoGilberto,thefoundingfatherofBossaNova.Amanwhohasnotbeenseeninpublicforadecade.

EventhoughMarcFischerneversucceededinfindingandmeetingJoãoGilberto,despitehistumultuousanddeterminedsearch,hehaswrittenavibrantbookonBrazil,itsmusicandcultureandspecificallyonBossaNova,itsmostexhilaratingmusictradition.Hobalalaisextremelywelldocumented,livelyandfunny,andfullofsavoryanecdotes.ItwaspublishedinGermanyin2011byRogner&BernhardinhardcoverandlateronbySuhrkampinpaperback.IthasalsobeentranslatedintoPortugueseandpublishedinBrazil.

MarcFischercommittedsuicideaweekbeforepublicationofhisbook.

ThisfilmtakesupthesearchforJoãoGilbertointhefootstepsofMarcFischer,andisfilledwiththesamepassionandloveforBrazilianmusic.WithMarcFischer,itasksthequestion“whoisJoãoGilberto?”“whereandwhyishehiding?”,“whatistheessenceofBossaNova?”,thismusicalmovementthathecreatedwithothers.

Morethanhisbook,MarcFischerhasleftuswithhundredsofphotographs,selfies,videoclips,e-mails,blogs,Facebookpages,soundrecordingsandhisjournal,allofwhichwereentrustedtousbyhisparentsforthefilm.

WehavepickedupMarc’squest,followingthetracesstepbystepthathehasleftus,andbymeansoffilmandagreaterfamiliaritywiththelocalcontext,havepushedthesearchevenfarther,pursuingBossaNovaandJoãoGilbertointurntodiscoverthestory,theessence,thespiritofboththemanandthemusic.


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DIRECTOR’SNOTEThefilmisadetectivestorylyingsomewherebetweenfilmandliteratureandfollowsadoubleintrigue:MarcFischer,theauthorofthebook,islookingforthemysteriousJoãoGilberto,andI,thefilmmaker,takeupthequestinFischer’sfootstepslookingforJoão.

IreadMarcFischer’sbookthreeyearsafterhisdeath.IwasverymovedbyitshonestyandimmediatelyunderstoodthatMarcFischerwasmotivatedbyhisloveofJoãoGilberto’smusic,bythesearchforabsolutebeautythatherecognizedinhismusic.

AnastonishinganalogyexistsbetweenMarc’squesttounveiltheessenceofBrazilianmusicandmyownsearch.Iwriteanddirectmusicalfilms,andhavesince2003focusedonBrazilianmusicandculture.Ihavemadethreefeature-lengthfilmsonthissubject.

SoMarc’sstoryconcernsmedirectly,ourpathshavecrossedinasurprisingmanner:in2010wewerebothinRioandwalkedthesamestreetsatthesametime.MarcwaslookingforBrazilianmusicianswhohadplayedwithGilberto,mostofwhomI’veknownpersonallyformanyyearsandsomeofwhoareeveninmyfilms.

ImyselftriedmanytimesduringmystaysinBraziltomeetJoãoGilberto,tonoavail.

SoitcouldbesaidthatIrecognizemyselfinMarcFischer.We’rebothfromnorthernEurope:IwasborninParisandhavelivedinZurichsince1981;MarcwasborninHamburgandlivedinBerlin.WeshareapassionforBrazilianmusicandtheopticfromwhichweviewBrazilisthatofastranger.

Ithinkthatthedeepestmotivationforbothhisbookandmyfilmis“saudade”(Portuguese),or“dieSehnsucht”(German).

ThisexpressioninGerman,whichconstantlycomesbackinMarcFischer’sbook,isuntranslatableinEnglishorFrench.Butstrangelyenough,itcorrespondsratherperfectlytotheBrazilian“saudade”.(ThefirstBossaNovasongthatJoãoGilbertorecordediscalledChegadeSaudade/Pourenfiniraveclasaudade—roughlyinEnglish:“tobringanendtolonging/yearning”).

He/Shewholanguisheswantstoobtainorpossesssomeoneorsomethingthathe/sheknowsfromtheverystartisveryprobablyunattainable.Butsometimestheseekerfindssomethingentirelydifferentintheend.ForMarcFischer,theBossaNovarhythmisthe“saudade”anditsmagicalperformerisJoãoGilberto.

Fischerwasaromantic,hisdesirecarrieshimtothemusicofanexoticcountryandinthathe


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joinsthelonglistofGermansnostalgicforafarawaycountry,“thatoffloweringlemontrees”.

Myclosescrutinyofthebookanditsadaptationintoafilmhasbroughttolightafewquestionsaboutmyownwork,especiallythatofthepastfewyears,focusedonBrazilianmusic.Whydoesonedosomething?Whatisitonedoes?–thesearequestionsthatcanneverbeansweredinanycomprehensivefashion.

Almostincidentally,thefilmtellsthestoryofBossaNova;itevokesthatextraordinarytimeatthebeginningofthe60swheneverythingseemedpossibleinBrazil.ThenationalsoccerteamhadjustwonitssecondWorldCup,therevolutionaryarchitect,Niemeyer,wasbuildingBrazil’snewcapitalinthemiddleofthedesertandBossaNovahadjumpedtothetopoftheworld’shit-paradecharts,thanksto,amongothers,thevoiceofaninternationalstar,FrankSinatra,andthesaxophoneofStanGetz.

Thisfilmisalso,indirectly,aportraitofJoãoGilberto,andisalsothefirstportraitofhimevermade.

TheobjectiveisnottosucceedwhereMarcFischerfailed,i.e.,tobringJoãoGilbertoinfrontofthecamera.ThephysicalpresenceofJoãoGilbertoisnotapreconditionforthefilm’ssuccess.Theincertitudewhenitcomestothesuccessoftheendeavor,whichwastrulyexperiencedbythefilmcrew,givessubstanceandveracitytothequest.

In2004,CaetanoVelosospokeoftheimportanceofJoãoGilbertototheneophyteGeorgesGachot:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuKmTQvqgBY


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FILMCREWDirector GeorgesGachotFilmscript GeorgesGachot,PaoloPoloniPhotographer StéphaneKuthySoundmixer BalthasarJuckerEditor JuliePelat(graduateofLaFemis,France’sschoolofcinema)Music JoãoDonatoSoundeditor MichaelKrantz(ArriMünchen)Colorgrading TraudlNicholson(ArriMünchen)Producers GeorgesGachot,Pierre-OlivierBardet,ChristophMenardi, AndreasAtzwangerProduction GachotFilms,IdéaleAudience,NEOSFilmCo-producedwith SRFSchweizerRadioundFernsehen,RTSRadioTélévisionSuisse

BayerischerRundfunkincollaborationwithARTE

CommissioningEditors UrsAugstburger(SRF),IrèneChalland(RTS)MatthiasLeybrand(BR),MonikaLobkowicz(ARTE)

Fundingentities OFFICEFÉDÉRALEDELACULTURE,SUCCÈSSPASSAGEANTENNE,FONDS

CULTURELSUISSIMAGE,ZÜRCHERFILMSTIFTUNG,SRGSSRIDÉESSUISSE,FONDSCULTURELDELASOCIETEDESAUTEURS(SSA),MEDIADESKSUISSE,DEUTSCHERFILMFÖRDERFONDS,FILMFERNSEHFONDSBAYERN,CNC,DESJARDINSAandEURIMAGES

LEADINGFIGURESINTHEFILM–MAXSIMONISCHECK,voiceofMarcFischer,authorofbookHobalala

–RACHEL,Fischer’sassistant,nicknamed“Watson”inthebook

–MIÚCHA,singer,ex-wifeandconfidantofJoãoGilberto

–JOÃODONATO,musician,oldfriendofJoãoGilberto 

–GARRINCHA,JoãoGilberto’scook 

–ROBERTOMENESCAL,composerofseveralBossaNovahits,acquaintanceofJoãoGilberto,whohehasn’tseensince1962

–MARCOVALLE,composerandmusician,BrazilianBossaNovalegend

–GERALDOMIRANDA,acquaintanceofJoãoGilbertowhometwithFischeratDiamantina


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–OTAVIOTERCEIRO,JoãoGilberto’sfriendandmanager

–ANSELMOROCHAT,musician,imitatorofJoãoGilberto

– GEORGESGACHOT,theauthor/directorofthefilminbothvoiceoffandsynchronoussound

JOÃOGILBERTO–THEINVENTOROFBOSSANOVA

GirlfromIpanema,ChegadeSaudade,Desafinando–theseextremelypopularBossaNovaclassicshaveenchantedhalftheplanetsincetheendofthe50s.Theycanbeheardinbars,nightclubsandonradiostationsaroundtheworld.

TheoriginalsoundandcomplexrhythmsofBossaNovawereinventedbyJoãoGilberto,agenrethatdidn’texistbeforehecreatedit.Hisinfluence

onpopularBrazilianmusiccanstillbeheardtoday.Gilbertocreatedthismusicalgenrepracticallyallbyhimself,notasacomposerbutasaninterpreter.Heisthemanwiththedesperatelysweetvoiceandguitarrhythmsneverheardbefore,themanwhosesongscanbreakyourheart,withoutevenunderstandingthewords.

JoãoGilbertohasbeeninhidingforthepastthirtyyearsinanapartmentinRiodeJaneiro.Hehaslefthisretreattogiveafewexceptionalconcerts,forexampleinItaly,Japan,NewYorkandMontreuxin1985,1989,2001and2003.HegavehislastconcertinBrazilin2008forthe50thanniversaryofBossaNova.

Inrecentdecades,mysteriesandlegendshaveliterallyusurpedhisperson.Themoreheretreatsfromtheworld,themoreanecdotesandstoriesproliferateabouthim.Heistodayanoldmanof87wholivesinRio,whoneverleaveshishome,whorefusestobeinterviewedandwhodoesn’tcareaboutwhatothersthink.It’sbeensaidthathespendshisnightsplayingtheguitarnon-stopfortenortwelvehours,drivenbyhisdeterminationforperfection.Gilbertohasbecome,astimegoeson,akindofphantom.

Miúcha,whoparticipatesinthefilm,isoneoftherarepersonswhoregularlyvisithimathishome.MiúchadiedfromcanceronDecember27th,2018.


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MARCFISCHER–REPORTERANDAUTHORMarcFischerendedhislifein2011attheageof40,threemonthsafterhislasttriptoBrazilandoneweekbeforethepublicationofhisbook.

FischerwasnotknowninGermanyforwritingbooksandreviewingmusic.HewrotearticlesforStern,derSpiegelandDieZeit.InspiredbytheAmericanNewJournalismgenreofthemid-90s,theyoungFischerbecameastarofthemonthlyreview,Tempo.Hecouldhavechosenasecurejobinarecognizedpublication,butinsteadcontinuedtoexplorethefourcornersoftheearth.Alwaysinsearchofagoodstory,hewasmotivatedbyhisnostalgiaforalost,somehowbroken,beauty,whichmeantfarmoretohimthanaregularmonthlysalary.

AsaresultofhisarticlesinTempo,hewasconsideredaprecursorofthejournalismthatwaspopularinthe90s,wherethereporterisalsoanactivesubjectinthearticlehewrites.Forawhile,Fischerbecameapopstar–oratleasttheincarnationofpopularjournalism.Healsosanginanewwaveband,TorpedoBoyz.

WhileFischerwasmakinginquiriesaboutGilberto,contactingallthosewhocouldpossiblehelphim,whilehetightenedthenetaroundthesubjectofhisresearch,thelegendarymusicianbecamemoreandmoremysterious,evanescent.

MarcFischer’sbookstandsoutbytheseriousnesswithwhichtheauthorapproacheshisown“saudade”.Althoughhemixedgenres,intertwiningfictionandnon-fiction,theunderlyingthreadisalwaysexistential.

(Photo:MarcFischerandBjörk)

MarcFischerthusintersperseshisworkwithhisownopinionsandperspicaciousanalysisofmusicandartingeneral.Imperceptibly,thebookstraysfromitssubjecttobecomepureliterature.


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Fischer’ssuicidethrowsastrangeshadowonhisbookandhisquest.Coulditbethathecouldnotreconcilehimselfwiththefactthathehadfailedtoattainhisgoal,i.e.,tomeetJoãoGilberto?

FischerrecountsthejourneyhestartedagainandagaintofindJoãoGilberto;itreadslikeadetectivestory.Butthejourneywasalsoawaytofleehiscountryoforigin,Germany,wherehehadtoputalostlovebehindhim.HewantstorevealthetruthaboutGilberto,butintheendhecomesfacetofacewithatruthabouthimself.

THEDIRECTOR-GEORGESGACHOTBorninNeuilly-sur-SeinenearParis,GeorgesGachotisaFrenchandSwissdualnational.Hestartedhiscareerworkinginfilmproductionforcommercialsasactorandassoundassistant,mostnotablyintheOscarwinningfilm“Journeyofhope”byXavierKollerin1990.SubsequentlyhewascommissionedbythemusiclabelNaxosandbyvariousEuropeanTVchannels(ZDF,BR…)andproducerstodirectmusicfilmslikeportrayofmusicians,composersandinterpreters.In1996hebeganproducinganddirectinghisownfilms-incoproductionwithinternationalpartnerslikeIdéaleAudience(France),Arte,SwisstelevisionSRF,RTS-thatenjoyedworldwidesuccess,distributedbyDoc&Films(France).Gachotreceivedtheprestigious"PrixItalia"in2002forhisportraitoftheArgentineanpianistMarthaArgerich,EveningTalksandcreatedthefirstofatrilogyoffilmsaboutBrazilianmusicin2005,“MariaBethânia"MusicaÉPerfume".ThisportraitofMariaBethâniawasdistributedin10countriesworldwide.GachotbecameatrueenthusiastandspecialistofBrazilianmusicandwentontofilmtwomorefeaturelengthdocumentariesthere,RioSonata(2010)andOSamba(2014).Between1996and2012healsodirectedfivefeaturelengthdocumentariesaboutCambodia.


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Filmographyselected

2017Boîtesàmusique(short)2014OSamba 2012L’ombrellodiBeatocello 2010RioSonata,NanaCaymmi 2005MariaBethânia,MúsicaéPerfume2004MoneyorBlood 2002MarthaArgerich,EveningTalks2000AndTheBeatGoesOn 1997BachatthePagodahttp://www.gachot.ch/gachot_filmography.html


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INTERNATIONALPRESSEXCERPTS "bybeingbeautifullysimpleandlightwithinitsownmelancholia,WHEREAREYOUJOAOGILBERTOembracesthespiritoftheBossaNova(..)andbecomes,withnodoubts,afilmaboutandbeyondBrazilitself."WELT“Anappealing,touchingfilmthatrevealstheloveastrangerhasforaspectsofBrazilthatnolongerexisttoday.”OESTADODESÃOPAULO,LuizZaninOricchio

è LINK“Inthisfilm,thedirectorusesabsencetoexploreemptiness(….)Inaway,WHEREAREYOU,JOÃOGILBERTO?speaksoftheimpossibilityoffillingthatemptiness.”O’GLOBO,LeonardoLichote“Thisisafilmaboutamadman–directedbyamadmanwhoislookingforanothermadman.”GLAMURAMA,MiuchaBuarque

è LINK

AGeniusofabsence“Gachotisstillthemasterwhenitcomestocreatingpalpitatingmomentswiththefilm’sparticipants.”VEJA,SérgioMartins

è LINK


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INTERNATIONALSALESThefilmhasbeenpurchasedinGermany,Austria,Japan,China,Poland,BrazilandtheCzechRepublicFilmreleases:Brazil:23August2018Switzerland:13September2018Germany:22November2018Japan:2019

JoaoDonato/Miucha/MarcosValle/RobertoMenescal@theatricalPremiereinRiodeJaneiroAugust2018

ActorMaxSimonisckekandGeorgesGachotZürich20.January2019,


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FESTIVALS(ASELECTION)ArtFifa2019,MontrealInternationalcompetitionZagrebDox2019F.A.M.E.Paris2019"PrizeoftheStudentJury"VisionsduRéel2018,CompetitionDOKFestMünchen2018,InternationalCompetitionIn-EditBrasill2018,OpeningFilm&RetrospectivLocarnoFilmfestival2018TaipeGoldenHorseFilmfestival2018SolothurnerFilmtage2019In-EditBarcelona2018TwoRiverSide-Polen2018SoundTrackCologneSeeyousound2019-Turin

CONTACTSDISTRIBUTIONGERMANY:FarbfilmDISTRIBUTIONBRAZIL:ImovisionDISTRIBUTIONSWITZERLAND:GachotFilmsDISTRIBUTIONCHINA:LemonTreeMediaCompanyLimitedPRODUCTIONGachotFilms(CH) Ekkehardstrasse168006ZürichTel:[email protected](FR)6Ruedel’agentBailly75009ParisTel:[email protected] 80799München Phone:[email protected]&FilmInternationalDanielaElstnerTel:[email protected]

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