{"id":53682,"date":"2019-06-09T07:00:44","date_gmt":"2019-06-09T10:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=53682"},"modified":"2025-08-07T12:07:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T15:07:28","slug":"film-mormaco-interweaves-fiction-and-reality-to-retell-story-of-vila-autodromo-evictions-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=53682","title":{"rendered":"Film \u2018Morma\u00e7o\u2019 Interweaves Fiction and Reality to Retell Story of Vila Aut\u00f3dromo Evictions [REVIEW]"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><em><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2JYIzzt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Clique aqui para Por<\/strong><strong>tugu\u00eas<\/strong><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2VqutYP\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" class=\"alignright wp-image-23766 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/PT-e1439583827971.png\" \/><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>On May 8, the film <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2If167b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Morma\u00e7o<\/em><\/a> premiered at the <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2JW1ppU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Net Rio Theater<\/a> in <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2JYJ6kQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Botafogo<\/a>, in Rio de Janeiro\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/318kJ9H\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">South Zone<\/a>. Directed by Marina Meliande with performances by Marina Provenzzano, Sandra Maria Teixeira, and Pedro Gracindo and a screenplay by Felipe Bragan\u00e7a and Marina Meliande, the full-feature film captures the <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/SeriesVila\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">eviction process in Vila Aut\u00f3dromo<\/a> in the context of the pre-Olympic period in Rio. Mixing fiction and reality, Meliande transports viewers to a complex moment in Rio\u2019s recent history.<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3IcOkfRRRV0\" width=\"620\" height=\"349\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The title of the work, <em>Morma\u00e7o<\/em>, or \u201chaze\u201d in English, evokes the idea of hot, stifling, and suffocating weather. The word &#8220;<em>morma\u00e7o<\/em>&#8221; is popularly used to describe uncomfortable temperatures. In this sense, the title is a metaphor for the changes and urban reforms brought about by the Olympics, carried out both physically and symbolically, that suffocated many of Rio\u2019s citizens. The film unfolds within this perspective through the viewpoint of the main character Ana, a public defender in Rio, who, in addition to losing her apartment due to the construction of a luxury hotel in Rio&#8217;s South Zone, works alongside residents of <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/VilaAut\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vila Aut\u00f3dromo<\/a> to fight evictions and defend the their right to <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1Qm1oWG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">remain in their homes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Vila Aut\u00f3dromo was <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2M971Pn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">established as a fishing community<\/a> in the <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1kZa7gI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">West Zone<\/a> in the 1960s. It continued to grow, eventually becoming home to <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1uE2YsC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">some 583 families<\/a> and providing them with a place of peace and calm despite difficulties. Vila Aut\u00f3dromo was one of the <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2OCFZ0m\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">most emblematic<\/a> victims of the urban development project carried out by the City of Rio during the construction of sporting facilities like the Olympic Park on the grounds of the city\u2019s old racetrack. The evicted families found themselves victims of <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2wmMcpr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">intense pressure from City officials<\/a>, who offered resettlement and compensation to the residents. As the 2016 Olympics drew closer, pressure increased, as did resistance from families who wanted to stay in the community. As residents\u2019 willingness to stay intensified, <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2Na7AsG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">so did the government\u2019s response<\/a>, prompting protests across the city, clashes between demonstrators and government officials, and <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1FLcuNj\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">acts of police brutality<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Morma\u00e7oFilm2.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-53710 size-content\" title=\"Presentation at the film premiere\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Morma\u00e7oFilm2-620x264.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Morma\u00e7oFilm2-620x264.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Morma\u00e7oFilm2-940x400.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Morma\u00e7o<\/em> makes use of actual footage of these events. The images reflect an archetypal context of war, with moments of prolonged desolation illustrating the drama experienced by the community\u2019s remaining families. By the end of the eviction process, Vila Aut\u00f3dromo\u2019s houses look as though they have been bombed. In this context, Ana begins to break out with a mysterious skin disease. As time goes on, the situation gets worse for the film\u2019s protagonist, for Vila residents, and for the city as a whole. In this sense, Ana&#8217;s body becomes a catalyst for the flow of energy and conflict that unfolds throughout the plot.<\/p>\n<p>Another central character in the film is Domingas, played by <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/21iUhCi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sandra Maria de Souza<\/a>, a real-life resident of Vila Aut\u00f3dromo, whose family was among the twenty who were <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2ayGPcR\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">able to stay<\/a> in their community as the result of their resistance effort. In addition to being a resident of Vila Aut\u00f3dromo and an activist, Souza is also a trained actress. She has become a symbol of resistance and an exemplar of the anti-eviction struggle in Rio de Janeiro. Thus, her role in <em>Morma\u00e7o<\/em> is marked by direct confrontation with those who unjustly impose their power upon her and her fellow residents in their fight against eviction.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Morma\u00e7oFilm3-e1559592495173.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-53709 size-content\" title=\"Screening of 'Morma\u00e7o' at the Net Rio Theater in Botafogo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Morma\u00e7oFilm3-e1559592495173-620x264.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Morma\u00e7oFilm3-e1559592495173-620x264.jpg 620w, https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Morma\u00e7oFilm3-e1559592495173-940x400.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>By combining advocacy and fiction, <em>Morma\u00e7o<\/em> opens the door to an innovative way of reflecting on social policies implemented by the government and how these policies affect citizens. The film also delves into the question of land and women\u2019s bodies as spaces of indiscriminate and unconscious exploitation: in <em>Morma\u00e7o<\/em>, femininity and land are re-signified and transformed to respond to the frenetic pursuit of profit, characteristic of monetized societies. Meliande effectively relays these messages through poetry and fantasy.<\/p>\n<p>The film gives important visibility to this issue, reviving discussions on <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2vtnROI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rio\u2019s Olympic legacy<\/a> through the history of Vila Aut\u00f3dromo\u2019s forced dismantling. The film celebrates the motto of the <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/244DsMA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Evictions Museum<\/a>\u2014created by the resistance movement and situated in Vila Aut\u00f3dromo as a space to preserve the history that took place there\u2014&#8221;Memory Cannot Be Evicted.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>See below for theaters screening <em>Morma\u00e7o<\/em> and showtimes in several states in Brazil:<\/h3>\n<h4>Bras\u00edlia \u2013 Federal District<\/h4>\n<p>Cine Bras\u00edlia \u2013 4pm, 6pm (except Mon. and Tues.)<br \/>\nCine Cultura Liberty Mall \u2013 4:30pm, 6:30pm<\/p>\n<h4>Jo\u00e3o Pessoa \u2013 Para\u00edba<\/h4>\n<p>Cine Bangu\u00ea \u2013 Sun. 4pm | Wed. 7pm<\/p>\n<h4>Palmas \u2013 Tocantins<\/h4>\n<p>Cine Cultura Palmas \u2013 Sat. 8pm<\/p>\n<h4>S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds \u2013 Maranh\u00e3o<\/h4>\n<p>Cine Lume \u2013 8pm | Sat. and Sun. 3:20pm, 8pm<\/p>\n<h4>Fortaleza \u2013 Cear\u00e1<\/h4>\n<p>Cinema Do Drag\u00e3o (Funda\u00e7\u00e3o) \u2013 2pm (except Thurs. and Mon.) | Thurs. 4pm<\/p>\n<h4>Niter\u00f3i \u2013 Rio de Janeiro<\/h4>\n<p>Reserva Cultural RJ \u2013 2pm<\/p>\n<h4>Porto Alegre \u2013 Rio Grande do Sul<\/h4>\n<p>Cine Banc\u00e1rios \u2013 5pm<\/p>\n<h4>Recife \u2013 Pernambuco<\/h4>\n<p>Derby \u2013 Cinema Da Funda\u00e7\u00e3o \u2013 Sun. 3:55pm | Tues. 6:05pm<br \/>\nS\u00e3o Luiz \u2013 Thurs. 3:50pm | Fri. and Wed. 5:40pm<\/p>\n<h4>Rio de Janeiro \u2013 Rio de Janeiro<\/h4>\n<p>Cine Star Laura Alvim \u2013 8:15pm<br \/>\nEsta\u00e7\u00e3o Net Botafogo \u2013 5:20pm<\/p>\n<h4>S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 S\u00e3o Paulo<\/h4>\n<p>Espa\u00e7o Ita\u00fa Cinema (Frei Caneca) \u2013 10:00pm<br \/>\nReserva Cultural SP \u2013 1pm (except Mon.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas On May 8, the film Morma\u00e7o premiered at the Net Rio Theater in Botafogo, in Rio de Janeiro\u2019s South Zone. Directed by Marina Meliande with performances by Marina Provenzzano, Sandra Maria <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=53682\" title=\"Film \u2018Morma\u00e7o\u2019 Interweaves Fiction and Reality to Retell Story of Vila Aut\u00f3dromo Evictions [REVIEW]\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":162,"featured_media":53711,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1293,2315,1736,1334,1329],"tags":[396,504,272,2032,674,602,11,25,327,1259,270,1402,156,4,21],"writer":[2950],"translator":[2603],"illustrator":[],"photographer":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-53682","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-evictionswatch","8":"category-legacywatch","9":"category-1736","10":"category-reviews","11":"category-by-international-observers","12":"tag-art","13":"tag-culture","14":"tag-mayor-eduardo-paes","15":"tag-evictions-museum","16":"tag-memory","17":"tag-film","18":"tag-forced-evictions","19":"tag-human-rights","20":"tag-legacy-myth","21":"tag-mega-events","22":"tag-resistance","23":"tag-legacy","24":"tag-south-zone","25":"tag-vila-autodromo","26":"tag-west-zone","27":"writer-carolina-medina-zarate","28":"translator-cheyne-bull"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53682","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/162"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=53682"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53682\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81322,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53682\/revisions\/81322"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/53711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=53682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=53682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=53682"},{"taxonomy":"writer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwriter&post=53682"},{"taxonomy":"translator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftranslator&post=53682"},{"taxonomy":"illustrator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fillustrator&post=53682"},{"taxonomy":"photographer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fphotographer&post=53682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}