There must be something between the surprise of the massacre and the anticipation of the carnival. A breath that frees us beyond the experiences of fear and revelation that always come with us.
I went to a party the night before the worst government in our country’s history, responsible for acts and omissions for the deaths of thousands of Brazilians, was about to be re-elected. In the first round, the cards were shuffled, and whether or not to believe the result depended solely on each person’s personal bet. There was no guarantee that the same disaster would not occur.
It was a dance party and there was genuine, desperate joy in the air. The joy of someone who knows they can fall at any time. It’s no wonder we’re the world’s biggest party animals. There’s something inspirational about knowing that each celebration could be your last. Nothing is more valuable and worth enjoying than what precedes the risk. Risk is permanent for us.
Beer tastes better and samba looks more like samba. Something that Kleber Mendonça’s film The Secret Agent brilliantly explores. As anyone who has recently fallen in love knows, that special joy comes from a sense of urgency. For them, parting is felt as an irreparable loss. Every second you walk away from love is a mixture of anticipation and anxiety.
But there is another point, unaccustomed to extremes, that lies equidistant between fiery desire and destructive anger. There are moments that you can enjoy without having high expectations or sadness. Director Hirokazu Kore-eda, best known in Brazil for “Fathers and Sons” and “Family Affair,” asked a difficult question in his film “Afterlife” (1998). “If you had to choose a scene that will live on forever, what would you choose?”
When characters choose memories that will last forever —And some people refuse it. They remain in a kind of purgatory. Memory, mourning and experience are the basis of this Japanese film.
This is a work that has nothing to do with tricks that are common in Western movies. It takes some meditative ability to understand it. Because it’s about rising above the din of flashy scripts, strobing images, and soundtracks that pre-empt your emotions and lead you to your pulse.
If I had to respond to the director’s provocation, I would say the week’s mediocre routine continues. The highlight of my schedule, aside from the peaks of anger and elation, is Sunday breakfast. I will spare you the details of this intimate experience in order to ensure that today, the most enjoyable moment of what is always a very busy week, ends up being the simplest meal.
Her photo does not exist and is not posted on social media. I also know that who I share my life with is most important, but I also can’t justify why this is such a special moment.
But that’s not all. In Kore-eda’s film, in the scene where the dead choose, a man chooses to fly on a sunny day. Another thing is the feel of the wind on your face.
In a world constantly reeling from extreme news and overestimating mania while experiencing the highest depression rates in history, we need to recognize the fun.
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