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ARTIST STATEMENT (June 2025)
Growing up in São Paulo, Brazil, I quickly recognized that cinema, in a mixture of sounds, visuals, music and magic, created a bond with the audience and could create a story with real emotional and cultural impact. I came to New York when I was 18, where I realized that my perception of cinema was constructed by American media; I quickly had to solidify my identity as a Brazilian filmmaker while accepting that American imperialism shaped my understanding of the medium. Yet, I knew nothing of Brazilian cinema.
Immersing myself in Brazilian cinema gave me a new understanding of my roots. While I was learning American storytelling, film history, and production – taking Screen Studies at the New School – I was independently immersing myself in the world of international cinema: Cinema Novo, Nouvelle Vague, Italian Neorealism, German expressionism, Cinema Marginal... I found that I was picking up different pieces from different puzzles to create a colorful and everchanging mosaic of references.
The Brazilian identity is an identity of miscegenation. My father descended from Spanish and Indigenous Brazilian, and my Mom, from Japanese and Portuguese families. “I am more diverse than a Panda, I am quarter black, quarter white, quarter asian, quarter latino” I would joke as a kid. Having such diverse ancestry filled me with a grandiose feeling of purpose, a calling. My intention became to explore cultural stories of personal independence, post-colonialism, and American imperialism through the lens of a global citizen with worldly perspective, creating awareness, conversation, and reflection on the human condition and how we carry ourselves in a globalized world.
An acute cultural curiosity mixed with my musical background led to my first films being musicals depicting Brazil through Bossa-Nova, Samba and Indie Rock. When I came to NY, it became Hip-Hop. Whether I'm offering prophetic declamations or simply reflecting the culture, my films carry a present musical identity – that proved to be an effective way to connect with audiences on a deeper, spiritual level. I have scored my own films, and collaborated with bands and rappers for original soundtracks, giving every piece the authentic energy of each musician’s artistry.
My latest film “São Paulo, New York” is a semi-autobiographical exploration of American imperialism and Brazilian/American cultures, constructed by fleeting moments that juxtapose people, musical genres, and ways of life. The plot touches on themes of belonging, the meaning of success and the consequential life decisions of a young adult influenced by American media. Cinema de Fluxo (Araby, Millennium Mambo, Beau Travail) and Transcendental (Paul Schrader) cinema were big references in the film’s style. Dealing with my personal anxieties by playing the lead myself was part of the beautiful challenge that was this film, where I could explore first-hand the differences between American and Brazilian cinema and used them to my advantage.
(application to FLC Artist Academy)