With the formidable backing of executive producers Sean Penn, Walter Salles, and Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Marianna Brennand’s debut feature Manas picked up the best director award at Venice Days last fall. Ahead of a theatrical release beginning on May 22 at NYC’s Film Forum, we’re now pleased to exclusively debut the U.S. trailer for the Brazilian drama, courtesy of KimStim.
Here’s the synopsis: “On the Amazon rainforest island of Marajó, 13-year-old Tielle lives in an isolated riverside enclave with her family. She idolizes her older sister, who escaped the area with “a good man” (according to her mother) on one of the commercial river barges. But as she matures and learns the true price her sister paid to leave, she fears for the safety of her younger sister, and resolves to challenge the normalized abuse of women and girls in her community. Filmmaker Brennand, who spent 10 years researching Indigenous tribes of the Amazonian rainforest, based this feature debut on true stories to create a sensitive and stirring portrait of cycle-breaking resilience. ”
Sean Penn said last fall, “In the tradition last fulfilled by Walter Salles’s I’m Still Here, Marianna Brennand’s film Manas continues Brazil’s most enduring cinematic legacy. Films of striking social relevance that never fall to polemic or sensationalism, but instead so trustingly fulfill their characters’ plight and courage. Manas is deeply emotional, stirring, and God forbid… important. I felt as if I had to put my skin back on after watching it.”
See the exclusive trailer below.
