Vania Catani

How did you get to be a film producer? I have begun with video art in the eighties. My contact with the moving image was this one. The scripts I produce are very special. It is a particular cinema. They are not commercial films; you can see that in A festa da menina morta.

How do you choose the directors you work with? In the case of A festa da menina morta, Matheus Nachtergaele, the director, is a very close friend. Matheus is a famous actor in Brazil. He performed in about twenty five films. Besides being a great actor, he also writes and directs very well.

Are you together part of any artistic group? No, the truth is that I’m a producer. It is my vocation, my talent. Still I am not a stupid producer who just solves the problems. I like to discuss the subject, I like to get involved. For me all the aspects of the film are important.

Is there something that relates the movies you’ve produced? Bananeira, my company, has created an image for a different kind of cinema. Many young directors come to Bananeira and we have especially produced first and second films. They are very different films; for example the two ones here at the festival. Their common point is to be very personal, with a big freedom in the creative process.

Gabriela Filippi