Lula, Son Of Brazil
I watched this film and was very impressed with everything about it, the actors (in particular, Rui Ricardo Diaz as Lula and Gloria Pires as his mother Dona Lindu), the writers (Daniel Tendler, Denise Parana, and Fernando Bonassi from the book by Denise Parana), and Director Fabio Barreto. But most of all, I was very impressed by the real characters themselves for all of their perseverance to make it in life and for how far Lula rose in the world. The film is 128 minutes, unrated, and spoken in Portuguese with English subtitles. It boasts a cast of twenty-five, all who bring reality to their characters.
The story is about Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, a man who rose to become President of Brazil, the highest office in his country. But it is mostly about Lula and relationship with his mother. Dona Lindu is the real heroine of this true story. She was an illiterate woman whose husband abandoned her just before Lula was born, leaving her with seven other children. She was committed to raising her eight children so that they had the most opportunities she could provide for them despite their hardships and poverty.
The film is very informative, very interesting and, if one didn't know it was a true story, could almost believe it to be fictitious. I have no reservations about the film itself; it is beautifully done and gives an enlightening history about a man who rose to fame despite his hardships. But, knowing Lula's present political leanings, the praise that I felt for him after seeing the picture cannot remain with me.
Playing at Laemmle Theatres.