The Brazilian movie Julia Roberts wants everyone to watch: “It will change you”
Her disarming good looks, phenomenal acting talent, and million-dollar smile have kept Julia Roberts right at the top of the Hollywood mountain for longer than many of her current co-stars have been alive.
As capable of generating maximum drama as she is at bringing an audience to their knees laughing, she is without a doubt one of the biggest stars of her era, a reign which doesn’t look like it will be ending any time soon.
Alongside her numerous acting conquests, Roberts has also turned her hand to producing. Through her company Red Om (don’t look for a deeper meaning in that name, it’s just her husband’s surname reversed), she has backed a number of films and TV shows, some starring her, some not. In a less formal sense, she has also backed numerous projects in other ways, including the 2024 Brazilian drama Manas.
Directed by Mariana Brennand Fortes, the story centres on a young girl, Marcielle, played by Jamilli Correa, who lives on an isolated island in the Amazon rainforest. The women of the community face terrible physical and sexual abuse, and have done so for generations, and this long-standing gender imbalance motivates Marcielle to try and fight back. Of course, this isn’t easy, as she must first convince other women that their cause and existence are worth fighting for.
Roberts spoke of her admiration for the film at a special screening she and Sean Penn (executive producer) organised in Los Angeles. “I am so excited for what’s about to happen to everyone in this room,” she told the audience, “It happened to me, and it will change you. This movie is life-affirming in such a sad and beautiful and magical way.”
The screening was followed by a Q&A with its director, whose filmmaking heritage lies in documentaries. Manas came about when Brennand began researching child abuse in remote Brazilian communities, which continued over a decade as she conducted interviews with those affected and travelled to the region to get a better footing for the horrific subject matter. Brennand thanked both Penn and Roberts at the screening, paying tribute to them for “immensely amplifying our voices”.
The reviews for Manas have been incredibly strong, but it’s not been without its controversies. The film was on the shortlist for Brazil’s submission for ‘Best International Picture’ at the Oscars, with its main competition the political thriller The Secret Agent from Kleber Mendonça Filho of the cult favourite Bacurau. When it looked like Filho was going to be snubbed by the Oscars again, support for The Secret Agent intensified. In the end, it beat Manas to the nomination, which only led to more arguments.
Roberts has never shied away from making films about controversial subjects. Just look at After the Hunt, the upcoming Luca Guadagnino movie that is already causing a ferocious stir in the cinematic community. Even though it missed out on a chance at the Oscars, the backing of such prominent Hollywood figures will hopefully help put Manas on people’s radars.
