“To Brazil without tickets and stereotypes”: The eleventh Kino Brasil festival kicks off in Prague
A rich programme of film, food, dance and music awaits visitors to this year’s Kino Brasil film festival, which begins on October 15th. Barbora Kovářová, one of the team behind the festival, spoke to Danny Bate, about what is included in the programme, and what the team is looking to achieve with the festival.
Could you tell me, what are the goals of the Kino Brasil film festival?
“Our main goal is to bring the best of Brazilian cinematography to Prague. We focus on the country's diversity, because we want to introduce all the faces of Brazil, not just the common ones, like carnivals and samba, as is normally talked about. We want to introduce the whole country mainly to a Czech audience. However, we want to include everyone, and so we screen the films in Portuguese with English and Czech subtitles.”
So it really is for everyone! I've been looking at your programme. There are so many things that you have on; it's not just films. Could you give us a taste of what is in the programme this year? What can people look forward to?
“So I, as an event manager of Kino Brasil, I want people to experience Brazil with all their senses. So you can join food and coffee tasting, dance and music workshops, café quiz, lectures, parties, concerts and even a workshop for children.”
So, a big programme, lots of things going on – and is this mainly concentrated in the Letná part of Prague?
“Exactly. So this year we are cooperating with many cafés and restaurants in Letná. There will be an event in Pilot Café, Rotisería Cruz, the Collector café, the Dos Mundos café. The films normally happen in Bio Oko.”
And what is new then this year? This is the eleventh edition of Kino Brasil. So what is different this year?
“The festival lasts almost three weeks from the 15th of October till the 3rd of November. So the difference is mainly the length of the festival. As you said, it's the eleventh year of the festival, so we have really tried to level it up, literally. A difference also is that we added most of the accompanying programme before the film festival itself. That starts on the 31st of October. That way, people can really understand better what they see in the films. Most importantly, they can focus just on the films. That's what we're trying to do during the film festival itself.”
Within this massive programme and within all of your work, I know how busy you've been in the run-up to this festival. Do you have a particular favourite? Is there an event that you are looking forward to personally?
“Oh, it's difficult to say because I'm really a lover of Brazil. And I love all the events. I think that this year we have really attracted really amazing people and places to work with. However, if I should mention some events in English, I would definitely say the quiz on the 17th of October in Pilot Café, and the food tasting on the 24th of October in Rotisería Cruz.”
Speaking as someone who loves a quiz and a food tasting, they both sound amazing.
