O cangaceiro in France: from the Cannes Film Festival to the release in cinemas

Abstract

This article examines the premiere of the film O cangaceiro, by Lima Barreto, in French cinemas, which had a regular exhibition circuit of eight years (1953-1960) and also sporadic screenings between 1961 and 1982, totalling more than 1,7 million tickets sold, an unprecedented fact for a Brazilian film to this day. To this end, the role of the North American distribution company Columbia Pictures will be analysed, as well as the consequences of the film’s screening and awards in the 1953 Cannes Film Festival. This research is based on official historical data obtained from the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (CNC), and on specialized magazines and newspapers consulted at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BnF) and the Cinémathèque Française.

Keywords
O cangaceiro ; Cannes Film Festival; film distribution; Brazilian cinema; France