Tribute to Arnaldo Jabor

Filmmaker and producer, writer and journalist, a lawyer by trait, Arnaldo Jabor was born in Rio de Janeiro and started his career writing film reviews and editing the newspaper “O Metropolitano”. In 1962, he becomes the editor for the magazine “O Movimento”.

In 1964 he attends the Itamaraty-Unesco Film School. In that same year he worked on the documentaries “Maioria Absoluta” by Leon Hirszman, “Integração Racial” by Paulo Cézar Saraceni and as Assistant Director on Mario Carneiro’s feature “Nave de São Bento”.

It is during this time that he partakes on the foundation of CINEMA NOVO, together with filmmakers Glauber Rocha, Cacá Diegues, Luiz Carlos Barreto, Nelson Pereira dos Santos and others.

In 1965 he directs his first short-film: “O Circo”, which was Brazil’s entry to Festival dei Popoli in Italy in 1966 and won Best Film at the Brasilia Film Festival and the State of Rio de Janeiro Award.

His debut into feature films happens in 1966 with the documentary “A Public Opinion”, which received the Best Film Award at the Pesaro Film Festival, in Italy.

In 1970 he directs “Pindorama” a co-production with Columbia Pictures and Vera Cruz Cinematographic Company. It was part of the Official Selection at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival.

Right afterwards he adapts to the big screen two stories by Nelson Rodrigues: “All Nudity Shall be Punished” (1973) and “The Marriage” (1975).

A success among viewers and critics “All Nudity Shall be Punished” won the Silver Bear at the 1973 Berlin International Film Festival, in addition to the awards for Best Film at the Gramado Film Festival (’73) and the 1974 National Film Institute. It was also invited to the 1973 Director’s Fortnight at the Cannes Film FEstival and the New Directors/New Films Festival in New York City (1974).

“The Marriage” also had international visibility as it was chosen in 1976 to participate at the Cannes Film Festival and the San Francisco Film Festival.

“Everything’s Alright” (’78) is a portrait of Brazil’s middle class. The film was part of the program at the Berlin International Film Festival; the Director’s Fortnight in Cannes and won Best Film Award at the Brasilia Film Festival.

In 1980, Jabor produces one of the highest grossing films in Brazilian cinema: “I Love You”, with Sonia Braga and Paulo Cesar Pereio, took more than 4 million spectators to the cinemas. It was distributed in the United States and Canada by MGM and was acquired for TV, cinema and home video in more than 20 countries. The film was part of Un Certain Regard in the 1981 Cannes Film Festival.

Produced in 1984 “Love me Forever or Never” won the Palm D’Or for Best Actress (Fernanda Torres) at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival; it also received the Air France Award for Best Film (’86) and had 4,5 million spectators.

In 1991 Jabor filmed for French Television, in co-production with Italy (Telecip and ReteItalia), a 40-minute episode for the international series “Love at First Sight”. Called “Carnaval”, it had as background the city of Rio de Janeiro, and was only broadcasted in Europe.

2010 marks his return to the big screen with the feature film “The Supreme Happiness”. The film, based in his childhood memories, takes place in the 1950s and shows us the life of a middle class family.

The screenplay of “Love me Forever or Never” was published by Editora Record and in 1994 it was adapted into a play. It became an immense success and it ran for almost three years. It received several awards, among them the “Premio Mambembe” for Best Screenplay in 1996.

Currently, Arnaldo Jabor writes political and cultural pieces for an array of newspapers in Brazil: O Estado de São Paulo (SP), O Globo (RJ), O Sul ( Porto Alegre (RS), Correio Popular (Campinas-SP), A Gazeta (Vitória- ES), A Tribuna (Santos-SP), Jornal A Cidade – (Ribeirão Preto – SP), Bom Dia (São José do Rio Preto – SP), – Jornal do Commércio – (Recife – PE), Jornal O Popular  (Goiânia – GO) –  Jornal O Tempo – (Contagem -  MG). Jornal A Gazeta – (Cuiabá – MT)

Several anthologies comprising these pieces have been published in book format: “Os Canibais Estão Na Sala De Jantar” (1993), “Brasil Na Cabeça”(1995), “Sanduíches De Realidade” (1997), “A Invasão Das Salsichas Gigantes” (2001). “Amor é Prosa Sexo é Poesia” (2004), Pornopolítica ( 2006), “Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar” (2008)

He has been the political commentator for Jornal da Globo, on TV Globo and Radio CBN since 1996.