O Oscar , the biggest cinema awards event in the world, has already been the stage for nominations for some Brazilian productions and artists. The country, however, only appeared in the category of “Best movie” main of the night, once, in the year 1986.
The production responsible for granting the nomination to Brazil was “Kiss of Spider-Woman” which is, in fact, a American-Brazilian film that is, the nomination was not made for a feature film entirely produced in the country.
“Kiss of the Spider-Woman” was directed by Héctor Babenco Argentine filmmaker naturalized Brazilian, also known as “Pixote, the Law of the Weakest” (1980) It is “Carandiru – The Movie” (2003) . The film was also responsible for launching the actress Sonia Braga – the “Spider-Woman” – to an international career.
Other Brazilian actors who participated in the production were: Milton Gonçalves, Nuno Leal Maia and Herson Capri.
The plot was an adaptation of the book of the same name by Manuel Puig, an Argentine writer. The story has as its backdrop two prisoners who share the same Brazilian cell during the military dictatorship and learn to live together and respect each other.
One of them is homosexual (William Hurt) and distracts, through the stories he tells, his cellmate (Raul Julia), a political prisoner who suffers from being away from the woman he loves.
The film was financed by Embrafilme, or Empresa Brasileira de Filmes SA, a former Brazilian government agency dedicated to film production and distribution and filmed entirely in the city of São Paulo.
Did “Kiss of Spider-Woman” win the Oscar?
In addition to “Best Film”, the work was nominated for three other Oscar categories: “Best Director”, “Best Actor” and “Best Adapted Screenplay”. However, it only won the statuette for one of them, for William Hurt's performance, losing the main prize to another nominee – the film “Between Two Loves” (1985).
William Hurt also won the BAFTA for “Best Actor” for the film. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1985, when it was highly acclaimed by critics.
“Kiss of Spider-Woman” will have a new adaptation
As confirmed by the magazine Variety, a new adaptation of “The Kiss of the Spider-Woman” would already be in production. This time, in a musical format and with none other than Jennifer Lopez in the role that previously belonged to Sônia Braga.
The new work is written and directed by filmmaker Bill Condon.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
