Film directed by and starring a student from a municipal school in Rio wins Popular Jury at film festival

The short film “Inspirações”, produced by students from the Adalgisa Nery Municipal School, with the support of the Municipal Department of Education, won the Popular Jury section of the 3rd Caicó Short Film Festival, in Rio Grande do Norte. The film, directed and starring student Ariany de Souza, addresses racism as one of the obstacles in the lives of young black people living in the outskirts of the city.

– I am very happy and excited! It was a job done with great care. I see this award as a real recognition of all our effort, concentration and focus. The film showed that everyone can make their dreams come true – says the young woman from the West Zone of Rio, who in the film explores all her talent with songs and poems that she wrote herself.

The Caicó Festival brought together 115 films divided into four competitive and six parallel sections. The winners were chosen by online voting. In the coming days, the short film “Inspirações”, the result of the #CinEscola project, could win another award. It is competing in the Competitive and Popular Selection sections of the 15th Taguatinga Film Festival (FestTaguá2020), in the Federal District. The results will be announced at the end of the month.

– It is gratifying to know that municipal public education can be a path to social transformation through art. May this be the first of many awards for everyone who participated in the project. This award is dedicated to students who were warriors, empowered themselves and are now visible – celebrates professor Ygor Lioi, coordinator of #CinEscola, in partnership with filmmakers Nathalia Sarro and André da Costa Pinto.

At the beginning of last year, the History teacher decided to create an elective subject to teach 9th grade students at the Adalgisa Nery Municipal School, in Santa Cruz, West Zone of the city, the first steps of an audiovisual production. In addition to “Inspirações”, the students produced two more short films: “Para todes” and “Ainda somos os mesmo”, which are also at FestTaguá2020.

Below is a brief summary of each film and the link to watch and vote. You must register and log in to the festival website.

The film's director and lead actress, Ariany de Souza, is a young woman from the West Zone of Rio who found inspiration in music and poetry to overcome the obstacles that life put in her path.

'For everyone'

Students from the Adalgisa Nery Municipal School embark on an adventure to show the world that it is necessary to break down visible and invisible walls. These often prevent people with special needs, LGBT people, women, and other groups from participating in soccer matches. In their language, whether the match is “for fun or for real,” there is an intense dispute to determine the winner.

'We are still the same'

Are the dreams of young people at school the same as those of their parents? In this short film, director Jonathan Rodrigues, together with his classmates, asks parents about their childhood dreams and how they see the world today.