Comunidade Católica Brasileira em NYC

Personagem da vida cultural e política brasileira, Abdias Nascimento foi um ardoroso apóstolo da luta contra o racismo e um pioneiro na formação dos negros para o teatro e as artes. Enfrentou todas as adversidades e perseguições por uma causa justa e nobre.

Se Augusto Boal cunhou a expressão “teatro do oprimido”, Abdias criou o “teatro experimental do negro”, movimento que formou gerações de atores, atrizes e diretores que se tornaram referência na cena brasileira. O documentário Abdias Nascimento, de Aida Marques, é muito mais do que uma justa homenagem a esse bravo brasileiro, falecido em maio do corrente ano, aos 97 anos de idade.

Much has been written about the Titanic over the 99 years that have passed since its tragic loss in the North Atlantic in the spring of 1912. Nearly every account (including James Cameron’s 1997 film) includes the story of how the band led by violinist Wallace Hartley “played on” until the very end when the ship was well into the water—and the lifeboats were all gone. However, little is known about these musicians—who they were, where they came from and why they kept going in spite of the fact that they must have known that their own existence was coming to a close. That biographical vacuum has been filled by music journalist Steve Turner’s “The Band That Played On,” a brilliant tome that tells us the life story of these individuals from their beginnings in Liverpool, through their short careers and ultimate legacy. Turner wastes little time with the well-known history of the liner itself, instead piecing together every possible detail about these men’s lives culled from century-old newspaper accounts, census records and earlier research by authors like Walter Lord, the author of “A Night To Remember,” one of the most complete accounts of the disaster. READ MORE

Elisete CardosoWhile I was growing up, music was often played around the house. I recall that my father was a big straight-ahead jazz fan and had all those LPs by the likes of Dave Brubeck, Louis Armstrong, Shelly Manne and Oscar Peterson. But there was plenty of Brazilian music favored by my mother – records that included Elizeth Cardoso, Joao Gilberto (The famed Getz/Gilberto LP), Jobim, Chico Buarque and Maria Bethania – all artists whose records are now part of my personal collection.

When on vacation in Fortaleza, Brazil, I listened to many of my aunts and cousins’ records, but the only ones I really remember are my aunt’s Roberto Carlos collection. But I do recall my Brazilian grandfather’s old LPs (even in the 1970s) and 78 RPM records by samba singer Aracy de Almeida – some of which ultimately came to my hands and that were donated to Fortaleza’s Museum of Image and Sound, where they are currently preserved (they recorded them so visitors can enjoy the music without damaging the very breakable shellac discs).

The Loisaida Cortos Latino Film Festival would like you to join us for a magical night of celebration!  

On Friday, March 25, 2011 you are invited to celebrate our 10th year anniversary with us! Come to a loft party/screening/mixer event like no other where we will feature short films from our Brazilian collaborator Rejanes Zilles, guest speaker Rashaad Ernesto Green and trailer from his feature film GUN HILL ROAD starring Esai Morales and Judy Reyes and performance by Mirage featuring popular hits by Mark Anthony, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and more--all this in a gorgeous loft in the Financial District.  

Event Details
Address: 54 Stone Street, New York, 3rd Floor
Doors Open: 7PM Open Bar: 7-8PM (Provided by STELLA)
Cost: $10  

8PM - BRASIL EN CORTO-SHORT FILM SCREENING PROGRAM

:: EM TRÂNSITO                                                                                              
Dir: Cavi Borges 11 min/2010 Fiction
Synopsis: Reunion on a cloudy day in Rio.  

:: EU QUERIA SER UM MONSTRO
Dir: Marão 8 min/2009 Animation
Synopsis: Day to day in the life of a boy with Bronchitis.  

:: VENTO
Dir: Marcio Salem 15 min/2009 Fiction
Synopsis: A small isolated town in Brazil has been left without wind. The habitants of this place begin to act strangely, with no hope or optimisim. And amongst that a boy wants to change his life and realize a big dream. 

:: IMAGINE UMA MENINA COM CABELOS DE BRASIL...
Dir: Alexandre Bersot 10 min/2010 Animation
Hair—the final frontier! Among makeup and hairdo’s. Traveling in search of acceptance.  

8:45PM - GUN HILL ROAD by Rashaad Ernesto Green (SUNDANCE, DALLAS FILM FEST., MILANO FILM FEST.) Trailer & Short Talk Back

9:30PM - MIRAGE Performance (covering Mark Anthony, Rihanna, Madonna, Erasure, Journey, Pat Benatar & more!)

Immigrant Heritage Week, established by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in 2004, celebrates the experiences and contributions of immigrants to New York City. This year, Immigrant Heritage Week is from April 11 to April 17 and celebrates the vibrant life stories New Yorkers have to tell. We are partnering with StoryCorps to share the stories that make up our diverse and wonderful City.

StoryCorps is a national, nonprofit organization with a mission to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives.

> Share Your Story, Leave a Legacy
Storycorps will be accepting reservations to participate in an interview for Immigrant Heritage Week starting Tuesday, March 22. Don’t miss this opportunity to share your story!

The New York City StoryCorps Story Booth is located in Foley Square.
Call 646-723-7027 and mention "Immigrant Heritage Week" to make your reservation for April 15 or 16.
Visit Storycorps online

> 2011 American Dreamer Awards
The American Dreamer Awards were created to celebrate the significant accomplishments and contributions made by an individual or organization to better the lives of immigrants and immigrant communities in New York City. The 2011 winners will be debuted at this year’s Immigrant Heritage Week reception. A number of community organizations and individuals from across the five boroughs nominated over 100 individuals across the 5 categories.

The internal selection committee is currently going over the nominees.

Através do Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a NY Public Library estará celebrando a diaspora africana e latino-americana em NY com uma série de eventos que educarão o público sobre a história da imigração africana nas Américas, e a influência artistica dos afro-americanos nos Estados Unidos e no Mundo - do Jazz à fotografia, etc.

Para descobrir todos os programas clique > aqui <.  Abaixo estão 2 documentários interessantes que falam dos latinos nos Estados Unidos e serão apresentados gratuitamente no Schomburg Center em abril. Vale a pena conferir !

:: Maid in America (57 minutes, 2004).
Saturday, April 9, 2011, 4 p.m.
@ Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, American Negro Theatre (Map and directions) Description: Documentary Maid in America (57 minutes, 2004). They clean other people’s homes and raise other families’ children—often leaving their own families behind. Maid in America is an intimate look into the lives of three Latina immigrants working as nannies and housekeepers in Los Angeles.


:: Brincando El Charco, Portrait of a Puerto Rican (55 minutes, 1994) Refreshingly sophisticated in both form and content, Brincando El Charco contemplates the notion of “identity” through the experiences of a Puerto Rican woman living in the US. In a wonderful mix of fiction, archival footage, processed interviews and soap opera drama, Brincando El Charco tells the story of Claudia Marin, a middle-class, light-skinned Puerto Rican photographer/videographer who is attempting to construct a sense of community in the US. Confronting the simultaneity of both her privilege and her oppression, Brincando El Charco becomes a meditation on class, race and sexuality as shifting differences. ALL PROGRAMS ARE Free. First come, first served. Reserve your seats at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 212-491-2229.

JUST IN CASE YOU ARE STILL WATCHING MAINSTREAM MEDIA AS YOUR PRIME SOURCE OF INFORMATION - WE HOPE YOU'RE NOT.

In the wake of the earthquake in Japan and the resulting threat of nuclear disaster in that country, right-wing media have attacked renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, arguing that it's a waste of time to pursue these sources as possible alternatives to fossil fuels and nuclear power.

However, studies show that the use of wind and solar energy is increasing at a record pace, and continuing investment in wind and solar will yield significant economic benefits.

READ ALL

Por ocasião do Dia Mundial da Água, celebrado no dia 22, o alto comissariado das Nações Unidas divulgou uma declaração na qual ressalta o direito à água e o melhoramento das condições higiênicas como um direito humano universal. O documento foi elaborado pela especialista em água e saneamento, Catarina de Albuquerque; pela especialista em extrema pobreza, Magdalena Sepúlveda; e pela relatora para a habitação, Raquel Rolnik.

Traz ainda o dado de que as pessoas que vivem na pobreza pagam mais por sistemas básicos que os cidadãos médios. O exemplo foi o de que uma pessoa que vive em um assentamento informal em Nairóbi (África) paga de cinco a sete vezes mais por um litro de água que um norte-americano de classe média. Além disso, são obrigados a comprar água de vendedores informais, que oferecem a água de qualidade não comprovada, armazenando-as de maneira imprópria.

São Paulo Ambiguous, an exhibition of color photographs of the city of São Paulo by renowned Brazilian photographer Claudio Edinger. The 12 photographs in the exhibition are part of a series of over 30 images depicting Edinger's hometown, a complex city of contrasts and contradictions.

Claudio Edinger was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1952 but raised in São Paulo. He began taking photographs in the early Seventies, while studying economics at Mackenzie University in São Paulo. In 1975 he had his first solo exhibition, at the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), with photographs of the Martinelli Building, a vertical slum in downtown São Paulo.

The following year he moved to New York City, where he lived until 1996. Over the course of 20 years spent in the United States, Edinger developed numerous personal photographic essays. In 1977, he studied under legendary photographer Philippe Halsman (1906-1979). For more information click here. 

@ 1500 GALLERY, 511 West 25th Street, New York, NY  tel: 212 255-2010

Singer Nana Caymmi is Brazilian music royalty. She is the daughter of Dorival Caymmi, Gilberto Gil's ex-wife, Milton Nascimento's muse and a childhood friend of Nelson Freire. Rio Sonata explores her body of work and her role in the history of Brazilian music in the last 50 years. It is also a love story to the city of Rio de Janeiro, Nana's hometown, with lush imagery and inspired music.

An intimate glimpse into an artist's relationship to her muse and her music. With the participation of Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Maria Bethânia, Joao Donato, Mart'nalia, Erasmo Carlos, Sueli Costa, Miùcha, Dorival Caymmi, Dori Caymmi. São Paulo International Film Festival. Director: Georges Gachot. 84 min. 2010. In Portuguese; English subtitles.

Rio Sonata - US Premiere.
Part of Cinema Tropical's Music+Film / Janeiro In New York.
For more information, click here.
@ 92YTribeca 200 Hudson Street, New York, NY  tel: 212-601-1000.

Brazilian sculptor Jane Sandes creates introspective pieces that examine the confines and dimensions of geometry as viewed through the variables of lines, contours and volume. Forms are complicated by the ever-present interplay of light, which enriches and deepens the visualization of the work.

Each sculpture rises up at unexpected angles, turning in on itself and then reaching outward again to face the world. The sharp contrast of light and shadow - depending on the viewer's perspective - adds a real dynamism to each piece. The results are geometric forms that transcend the confinements of line and space to convey a great energy of movement and spirit.
For more information, click here.

@ Agora Gallery located at 530 West 25th St, New York, NY  tel: 212-226-4151.

Em 1981, Robert Redford reuniu um grupo de amigos e colegas nas montanhas de Utah para criar um ambiente desenhado para gerar independência, descoberta e novas vozes no cinema americano. Naquela primavera, 10 artistas  foram convidados para o primeiro Sundance Institute Filmmakers/Directors Lab onde trabalharam com escritores estabelecidos e diretores para desenvolver seus seus projetos de filmes independentes.

Em um ambiente natural e ecológico, fora de todas as pressões do mercado cinematográfico, cada um desses artistas em ascendência foi encorajado a se arriscar criativamente e realizar um film verdadeiro  e coerente com uma visão original. Esse foi o começo do que hoje o mundo conhece como THE SUNDANCE FESTIVAL.

Esse compromisso com a originalidade e o conteúdo independente de seus filmes permite que mesmo em 2011, o balzaquiano Sundance continue a fazer história. Para essa edição Sundance, escolheu 2 documentários que vão dar o que falar - HOT COFFEE e LIVING FOR 32. O primeiro é um documentário de SUSAN SALADOFF sobre famoso caso de Stella Liebeck, a senhora idosa que processou a rede McDonald's por servir café em temperaturas perigosas a saúde e bem estar dos consumidores, provocando acidentes como o que deixou Stella Liebeck, com queimaduras de terceiro grau pelo corpo e uma dívida hospitalar além de suas possibilidades.

HOT COFFEE explica como, desde os anos 80, que as corporações americanas investiram milhões em marketing para desinformar e convencer a população americana sobre a "frivolidade e desgovernaça" dos juízes, do sistema de justiça civil americano e da necessidade urgente  de reforma.
Usando piadas, meias verdades e mentiras, essa campanha visa limitar o ascesso de pessoas ao sistema judiciário, o único lugar onde um cidadão comum pode enfrentar ricos e poderosos e ainda sim ter uma chance de ver a justiça ser feita.

LIVING FOR 32 é outro documentário que vale a pena assitir. Em Living for 32, Colin Goddard único  sobrevivente dos 32 estudantes assassinados no massacre da Escola Virginia Tech em 2007 e das 32 pessoas assassinadas todos os dias nos Estados Unidos. Hoje Goddard é um ativista do Movimento contra a Prevencão da Violência Armada, e vem expor ao público os "furos" nas leis que regulam os GUN SHOWS (Feiras de Armas) e o quão frágil e inexistentes são os mecanismos de controle e aplicação das leis que regulamentam a compra e venda de armas nos EUA. O filme convida a audiência a pedir mudança.
 
Virginia Tech: Shooting Survivor Calls for Gun Control in New Film