Mulher de Verdade (A Real Woman). 1954. Brazil. Directed by Alberto Cavalcanti. Screenplay by Oswaldo Molles, Miroel Silveira. With Inezita Barroso, Colé Santana, José Sanz. North American premiere. Courtesy Maristela Filmes. In Portuguese; English subtitles. 98 min.
After decades of celebrated work in Europe, Alberto Cavalcanti returned to his native Brazil to make this sophisticated satire of class and gender relations. What begins as a seemingly light comedy about a woman caught between two marriages—one to a reformed petty criminal, another to a wealthy playboy—develops into a pointed critique of Brazilian society. Popular singer Inezita Barroso, in an early film role, brings remarkable complexity to Amelia, a character who becomes a reluctant bigamist simply because society never allows her to say no. Cavalcanti’s refined visual style, developed through his work with the French avant-garde and Britain’s Ealing Studios, creates telling contrasts between Amelia’s humble domestic life and the artificial world of São Paulo’s elite. This restoration rescues a key work—long overlooked in discussions of Brazilian cinema—from one of world cinema’s most cosmopolitan directors.
The 4K digital restoration was conducted for Locarno Heritage by Cinegrell Postproduction GmbH in Zurich by Nicole T. Allemann (Project Coordination and Colour Grading), Ursula Deiss (Digital Restoration), Peter Matthies (Film preparation and Scanning) and Daniel Nestler (Sound Restoration). The project was carried out in collaboration with Cinemateca Brasileira – Sociedade Amigos da Cinemateca, Heritage Online Partner, and Cinematográfica Maristela.