Miúcha directors on the abusive side of João Gilberto: “He is not a villain”

Rio de Janeiro – “He won’t let me out”, “he locked the villain”, “he got to yell at me”. These are some of Miúcha’s confessions about her marital relationship with João Gilberto, which now come to public knowledge through letters written by the artist over the years, and read by actress Silvia Buarque in the documentary Miúcha – A Voz da Bossa Nova. The work is part of the Première Brasil show, at the Rio Festival, and was a full session at the historic Cine Odeon. The documentary’s directors, Daniel Zarvos and Liliane Mutti claim that the film makes a “historical reparation” and exalts the artist’s legacy, which free herself from her marriage with the genius of Brazilian music in order to live her dream of being a singer. But, according to them, the revelations do not tarnish the memory nor transform João Gilberto into a “villain of history”. “I think that we are all light and shadow. I really don’t think that in the film we have a heroine and a villain, the film doesn’t demonize João Gilberto. I keep listening to João Gilberto. What is revealing for me is the place of women at that time, the mother, the singer… and we needed to show how much we were naturalized. What happens in the relationship of this couple, happens to this day between several couples. It’s important to bring the story to us to put ourselves in perspective. There is no cinema without provocation”, emphasizes Liliane Mutti, in an interview with metropolises.Liliane Mutti and Daniel Zarvos_MiúchaLiliane Mutti and Daniel Zarvos, directors of Miúcha – A Voz da Bossa NovaAndré Horta/Festival do RioSilvia Buarque_MiúchaIt is by Silvia Buarque the voice chosen to interpret the letters written by MiúchaAndré Horta/Festival do RioAdvertising by partner Metrópoles 1Miúcha TeamMiúcha – A Voz da Bossa Nova film team in a pro-Lula demonstration, during the Rio FestivalAndré Horta/Rio0 Festival From the decision to record until the official launch of the production, it took 10 years. A prolonged period of two mourning: the deaths of Miúcha (81 years old), in 2018, and João Gilberto (88 years old), seven months later. “What she told us, she had never told anyone. When she dies, if it wasn’t for the movie, she would take that secret to her grave. But she wanted the movie to exist. Already very sick, she sent us a message saying: ‘It’s gone to my head, and all I think about is you.’ She thought about the movie, the things she had told us. After this hard bar, we thought that this treasure that is intimate, should also be public”, recalls Mutti.A Voz da Bossa NovaThe film brings a time frame of Miúcha’s life, between the 1960s and the end of the 1970s, a period in which the artist fights the main battles to be recognized and to establish herself in her musical career. Temporality was a well-thought-out choice by the directors. “We wanted to show her transformation as a woman and as a singer, this journey of finding herself… this struggle to overcome all the barriers that are imposed since childhood. Show how she manages to win”, explains Daniel Zarvos. For Mutti, the feature deconstructs the female role of just the muse of Bossa Nova and places women in the role of protagonist as well. As Miúcha’s story intertwines with that of Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes and João Gilberto, it is the singer’s vision and voice on the sound that took Brazil to the world. “It was the opportunity, from a singular perspective, to speak about a movement that is collective”.* The reporter traveled at the invitation of the organizers of the 24th edition of the Rio Festival, an event that runs until this Sunday (10/16). Do you want to stay on top of the world of celebrities and receive the news directly on your Telegram? Enter the Metrópoles channel and follow the editorship on Instagram.