By Jack Arnhold, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – This Wednesday, November 7th ‘Acorde! O Cinema de Spike Lee’ (Wake Up! The Cinema of Spike Lee) film exhibition will arrive at Rio’s CCBB ‘Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil’ (Bank of Brazil Cultural Center), screening 22 Spike Lee feature-length films and four music videos through November 26th.
‘Wake up! The Cinema of Spike Lee’ is a chance for newcomers to get acquainted with some of the New Yorker’s best-known films, such as 1992’s ‘Malcolm X,’ and 1989’s ‘Do the Right Thing,’ as well as giving fans an opportunity to see some of his lesser-known works and documentaries, like 2009’s ‘Kobe Doin’ Work’ and 2016’s ‘Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall.’
Both fans and newcomers alike will be excited to see some of the more recent releases that have reinvigorated interest in Lee’s approach when dealing with issues such as racism and marginalization in both historical and contemporary America, as demonstrated in 2000’s ‘Bamboozled’ and 2008’s ‘Miracle at St. Anna,’
There will also be a presentation of his music video clips, featuring Public Enemy, Prince, Eminem, and Michael Jackson’s ‘They Don’t Care About Us,’ shot in the Rio favela community of Santa Marta, and the Brazilian city of Salvador.
The festival also features a debate with curator Jaiê Saavedra, film critic, and professor Juliano Gomes, as well as professor and researcher Janaína Oliveira during the closing session on Monday, November 26th. Janaína Oliveira will also teach a Spike Lee film class on Saturday, November 17th. These two events are free, with passwords distributed one hour before the start.
What: ‘Acorde! O Cinema de Spike Lee’
When: Wednesday, November 7th to Monday, November 26th; screening and event times vary
Where: Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil Rio de Janeiro, Rua Primeiro de Março, 66 – Centro
Entrance: R$5 – R$10, tickets available one hour before at the box office