Premiere Brazil 2008 -- Latest films on Brazilian music in New York

New York's MOMA is again featuring Brazilian films, with Brazilian music taking the spotlight in several.

Out of Tune. 2008. Brazil. Directed by Walter Lima Jr.
Os Desafinados (Out of Tune). 2008. Brazil. Directed by Walter Lima Jr. With Rodrigo Santoro, Claudia Abreu, Selton Mello. A seductive "biography" of the sublime musical art of bossa nova, as dramatized through the fate of a fictive band, Os Desafinados. The band's success reaches its apex with the discovery of Gloria, an ex-pat singer living in New York, who becomes the band's star - and their downfall. The band's ensuing decline coincides with the political events in Brazil that brought the junta to power, and Lima's film deftly integrates documentary stock footage into the narrative - while adding plenty of bossa nova classics for audiences to groove to. In Portuguese; English subtitles. 138 min.
Thursday, July 17, 2008, 8:15 p.m., Theater 1, T1
Sunday, July 27, 2008, 6:00 p.m., Theater 2, T2

The Man Who Bottled Clouds. 2008. Brazil. Directed by Lirio Ferreira
O homem que engarrafava nuvens (The Man Who Bottled Clouds). 2008. Brazil. Directed by Lirio Ferreira. Written by Ferreira, Denise Dummont. A host of personalities reminisce about the life and work of songwriter, lawyer, and congressman Humberto Teixeira - aka "Baião Doctor" - the author of such classic Brazilian popular songs as "Asa Branca (White Wing)." This beautifully produced film brilliantly captures the feel of Brazilian life in the 1940s with musical performances, archival footage, and lively conversations. In Portuguese; English subtitles. 110 min.
Friday, July 18, 2008, 8:15 p.m., Theater 1, T1 (World premiere)
Saturday, July 26, 2008, 5:00 p.m., Theater 2, T2 (World premiere)
Monday, July 28, 2008, 6:00 p.m. (World premiere)

O mistério do Samba (The Mystery of Samba). 2008. Brazil. Directed by Carolina Jabor, Lula Buarque de Hollanda. The Mystery of Samba captures the rich lives - and astonishing vivacity - of a group of veteran musicians and composers from one of Rio's most revered samba schools, Portela. The magic of this birthplace of singers and poets is brought to vivid life with guest appearances by samba luminaries Marisa Monte, Paulinho da Viola, and Zeca Pagodinho. In Portuguese; English subtitles. 85 min.
Saturday, July 19, 2008, 8:00 p.m., Theater 1, T1 (North American premiere)
Saturday, July 26, 2008, 8:00 p.m. (North American premiere)