Agulha no Palheiro

'Agulha no Palheiro' (translated into English it means 'A Needle in a Haystack') is the first film directed by Alex Viany. His films are quite forgotten now, but 'Agulha no Palheiro' was a forerunner of the 'Cinema Novo', a movement that would change radically the Brazilian cinema. Most of the Brazilians films (with some notable exceptions) that played in the Brazilian movie theaters at the time were light comedies (mostly musical) or melodramas.

'Agulha no Palheiro' was one of the forerunners of the 'Cinema Novo'. The 'Cinema Novo' proposed to make films that were a reflection on reality – films should make people think about their life and the ways to change it. The 'Cinema Novo' was deeply influenced by the Italian neorealism.

In 'Agulha no Palheiro' we can feel the neorealist influence. The story may be traditional, mixing comedy, a bit of drama and musical numbers, but it is skillfully told and the outdoor scenes are filmed in the streets, so we see glimpses of Rio's downtown, Copacabana etc.. 'Agulha no Palheiro' shows the simple people, their lives, joys and worries and does it in an entertaining way. Here goes a sketch of the story (without spoilers).

A girl from a little town, Mariana (Fada Santoro) goes to Rio de Janeiro looking for her 'fiancee'. He had said that his name was Jose da Silva (a very common name in Brazil) and gave her an address (that doesn't exist). Mariana starts a desperate search to find her missing fiancée, and she's helped on this by a friendly family…

'Agulha no Palheiro' was made in 1953, the story and the acting may reflect the time, but the film feels real, and it offers us a slice of life in Rio de Janeiro in the early 50s.