Regina Duarte Accepts Invitation to Become Secretary of Culture

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Duarte traveled to Brasília yesterday afternoon to officially announce her commitment to the government and start building her team. She was invited by Bolsonaro to be in charge of the portfolio following the resignation of Roberto Alvim, who plagiarized the speech and aesthetics of Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister.

Upon arriving in the capital, the actress told reporters that “dating” – the term she herself used to refer to her period of reflection on the proposal – with the president was “excellent”. However, when asked about what she intends to do at the head of the Secretariat, the actress said it was “early” for such statements.

Duarte’s invitation was interpreted by some members of the Executive as a white flag to the cultural sector, after a year of conflicts, with references to a “cultural war” over budget cuts and censorship of a number of projects.

On Tuesday, January 28th, Bolsonaro said that Duarte will be free to effect as many changes as she wishes at the head of the portfolio and his team said the president will not tolerate friendly fire against the new secretary. This message is for the Government’s ideological right wing, which until then had been running the Special Secretariat of Culture.

“It would be outstanding for me, for her she has the opportunity to really show what it is like to make culture in Brazil. She has experience in everything she is going to do. She needs people with management skills at her side, she is in charge of that, she will be able to switch whoever she wants without any trouble. Regina Duarte has everything for this to succeed,” said the president.

However, backstage in the cultural sector, producers, directors, and various artists are skeptical about the positive changes that Duarte may bring about. “If she is aligned with the Government, it will be more of the same”, says a filmmaker during the 23rd Tiradentes Film Festival, taking place until February 1st, who prefers to remain anonymous.

“I don’t believe she will change the Government’s cultural dismantlement policy, at least for now. Will she pursue any policy to promote Brazilian cinema? Until we know this, we will remain distrustful”, comments Camila Vieira, one of the Film Festival’s curators.

Also on Tuesday, Bolsonaro acknowledged that Duarte will be fending for her herself following the news released last week about irregularities with the Culture Incentive Law, known as the Rouanet Law. The actress owns the company ‘A Vida É Sonho’ Productions and has obtained three fundings for a total of R$1.4 million (US$350.000).

In March 2018, the former Ministry of Culture refused to approve the accounts of one of the projects, the play ‘Coração Bazar’, which raised R$321,000. The actress was notified to return R$319,600, according to the Federal Gazette, but her production company lodged an appeal.

Political stance

In November last year, Duarte criticized Roberto Alvim’s appointment to the Special Secretariat of Culture. “Those who know me know that, if I could have given an opinion, I would have suggested another profile. Someone with more experience in public management and more inclusive of the artistic class”, published the performer on her Instagram at the time. The actress frequently uses her social media profiles to show support for the government.

In recent months, during the publication of news with the leaked conversations between former judge Sérgio Moro and prosecutor Deltan Dallagnol, she used Instagram to defend both – “We are all Sérgio Moro”, she published on one occasion – and also posted messages against the Federal Supreme Court: “STF. Guardian of the Constitution or of impunity?”.

However, when ANCINE (National Film Agency) removed the posters of Brazilian films from its headquarters and its official website, the actress – as other artists have done, particularly leftist ones – used her profile on Instagram to publish posters of productions like ‘Black God, White Devil’, ‘Elite Squad’ and ‘Carlota Joaquina’.

During a meeting last week, Duarte is said to have rebutted criticism from the Minister of Tourism, Marcelo Álvaro Antônio, on the film ‘Bruna Surfistinha’, according to columnist Mônica Bergamo, of Folha de S. Paulo.

The minister supposedly said that the film is a sample of projects that should not be sponsored by the government, and Duarte rebutted with the argument that the production is duly rated and that prostitution is the oldest profession in the world, adding that she is an actress and that members of the Executive branch should not forget that.

Regina Duarte was born on February 5th, 1947. With a 55-year-long career, she is one of the country’s most famous actresses, with dozens of soap operas on her résumé. To take on the position of special secretary, the actress will be required to suspend her contract with TV Globo, according to the broadcaster.

Source: El País, Agência Brasil