''Pra Frente, Brasil'' ( en, Go Ahead, Brazil!) is a 1982 Brazilian

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed, written and produced by

Roberto Farias Roberto Farias (27 March 1932 – 14 May 2018) was a Brazilian film director, producer and screenwriter. He directed 15 films during his career. His 1982 film '' Pra Frente, Brasil'' was entered into the 33rd Berlin International Film F ...

. It tells the fictional story of a man mistakenly arrested by a group linked to the military dictatorship during the 1970 FIFA World Cup.

Plot

The film is set on mid 1970, when the military regime's "economic miracle" and the victory of the

Brazil national football team The Brazil national football team ( pt, Seleção Brasileira de Futebol), nicknamed ''Seleção Canarinho'' (‘Canary Squad’, after their bright yellow jersey), represents Brazil in men's international football and is administered by the B ...

on the FIFA World Cup serves as a distraction for the persecution of opposition leaders by the

political police Secret police (or political police) are intelligence, security or police agencies that engage in covert operations against a government's political, religious, or social opponents and dissidents. Secret police organizations are characteristic of a ...

of the dictatorship. Under this context, Jofre Godoi da Fonseca, an alienated

middle class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Com ...

man, is mistaken for Sarmento, a political activist he met at an airport prior to his assassination. He is then arrested and brutally tortured by a paramilitary group of

vigilantes Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a person who ...

sponsored by influential businessmen to hunt down people deemed "subversive" by the regime. Jofre's wife Marta and his brother Miguel join forces to investigate his disappearance. After they fail to get enough support from

law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules Rule or ruling may refer to: Education ...

agents, Mariana, leader of a left-wing resistance group and Miguel's former girlfriend, helps them. Their efforts proved to be useless after Jofre is killed on a failed escape attempt.

Cast

* Reginaldo Faria as Jofre Godoi *

Antônio Fagundes Antônio José da Silva Fagundes Filho (born 18 April 1949) is a Brazilian actor, playwright, voice actor, and producer. Renowned for his several performances in stage, film and television, where he frequently works in telenovelas. Biography Fa ...

as Miguel Godoi *

Natália do Vale Natália do Vale (born March 6, 1953) is a Brazilian actress. She appeared in leading roles in several television programs, including ''Olho no Olho'', '' Água Viva'' and ''Women in Love''. Biography Vale was born in Floriano, the daughter of ...

as Marta Godoi *

Elizabeth Savalla Elizabeth Savala Casquel (born 23 November 1954) is a Brazilian actress and businesswoman. Biography Elizabeth was studying at Eduardo Prado High School when actress Lourdes de Moraes referred her to the School of Dramatic Arts in São Paulo. ...

as Mariana *

Carlos Zara Carlos may refer to: Places ;Canada * Carlos, Alberta, a locality ;United States * Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County * Carlos, Minnesota, a small city * Carlos, West Virginia ;Elsewher ...

as Dr. Barreto *

Cláudio Marzo Claudio is an Italian and Spanish first name. In Portuguese it is accented Cláudio. In Catalan and Occitan it is Claudi, while in Romanian it is Claudiu. Origin and history Claudius was the name of an eminent Roman gens, the most important me ...

as Sarmento

Awards and nominations

;

33rd Berlin International Film Festival The 33rd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 18 February to 1 March 1983. The festival opened with the out of competition film, '' Tootsie'' by Sydney Pollack. The Golden Bear was awarded to the British film '' Ascendancy'' ...

Golden Bear The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin. History The win ...

– Roberto Farias (nominated) * C.I.C.A.E. Award – Roberto Farias (won) * OCIC Award – Roberto Farias (won) ;10th

Gramado Film Festival The Gramado Film Festival ( pt, Festival de Gramado) is an international film festival held annually in the Brazilian city of Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul, since 1973. In 1992, the festival began to award Latin American films produced outside of Br ...

* Best Film – Roberto Farias (won) * Best Editing – Roberto Farias, Maurício Farias (won) ;17th Silver Daisy Awards * Best Feature Film – Roberto Farias (won) ;9th

Festival de Cine Iberoamericano de Huelva The Huelva Ibero-American Film Festival ( es, links=no, Festival de Cine Iberoamericano de Huelva), held since 1975 in Huelva, Spain, is the oldest film festival in Europe dedicated to the Ibero-American cinema. During the first editions, it was ...

* Critic's Choice Award

References

External links

* * {{Amg movie, 157490, Pra Frente, Brasil 1982 drama films 1982 films Brazilian drama films Films about Brazilian military dictatorship Films directed by Roberto Farias 1980s Portuguese-language films Film controversies in Brazil