PODCAST| Matt Micucci interviews Marina Meliande, director of the film Sultry.
Director Marina Meliande presented her film Sultry at the 40th Cairo International Film Festival in Egypt. The film is set in Rio de Janeiro in the run-up to the 2016 Olympic Games and tackles the stress of evictions and environmental issues by crossing boundaries between social realist drama and genre. In this interview, we also talk about Vila Autódromo, the favela in Rio de Janeiro that became a symbol of resistance for fighting against the city government’s plan to demolish several houses and build a road to the neighbouring Olympic Park. We talk about the use of genre in communicating a messages, the pleasure of not knowing “everything” in cinema and more.
Sultry: Rio de Janeiro, 2016. The hottest summer in history. The city is preparing for the Olympic Games. Ana, a 32-year-old public defender, works in the defense of a community threatened with removal by the works of the Olympic Park. Meanwhile, she’s been noticing purple fungus-like spots of her body. Strange things begin to happen in the city as well as in Ana’s body. The temperature rises, creating a humid and suffocating atmosphere. The sultriness accumulates before giving way to heavy rain.
The Lovers Film Festival celebrates 40 years with 70 films from 26 countries, international guests and tributes to LGBTQI+ cinema icons. Directed by Vladimir Luxuria, from 10 to 17 April at the Cinema Massimo in Turin.