SUELY IN THE SKY
Brazil, 2006, 88 minutes, Colour.
Hermila Guedes, Maria Menezes, Zezita Matos, Joao Miguel, Georgina Castro.
Directed by Karim Ainouz.
Sueley in the Sky was written by Karim Ainouz who achieved some fame with his first film, Madame Sarta. He also co-wrote a number of striking films, especially those set in remote areas of Brazil or in the slums of the cities: Movies, Aspirin and Vultures as well as Lower City. He contributed to the screenplay of Walter Saller’s film, Behind the Sun, set in the 1940s in remote north-eastern areas of Brazil, and the blood feuds there.
With this film, the setting is a city beyond the capital. A young woman returns home, waiting for her husband to come back. However, he goes off with someone else. She becomes friends with prostitutes in the town and decides that in order to raise some money for herself and her daughter she would be prostitute for one occasion, raffling herself and the winner being drawn in a lottery. This brings on criticism from the people in the town, from her family, eventually from the police and authorities.
Ainouz is trying to highlight the poverty in Brazil, both material and spiritual. He focuses on people who have ambitions in life but society and the culture of Brazil are against them. His films generally travel well – though this one is not as powerful as some of the other screenplays that he has contributed to.
1. Impact, Brazilian way of life, the north-eastern desert towns, isolation? People leaving? The context for people to live their lives, leave?
2. The title, the focus on Hermila? The opening with the film of the sky, Hermila telling us her story, about her pregnancy and Mateus? The image of the sky throughout the film? Hot and clear?
3. The name Suely, Hermila and her taking it for her raffle? A substitute name? A name for a change of life and freedom?
4. The town, its way of life, poor, the people, hanging around, jobs? The hard life? Homes? Shops? Clubs and dancing? Selling raffle tickets? The musical score, the local music?
5. Hermila’s story, age twenty-one, her falling in love with Mateus, the pregnancy, the birth of the child, going to San Paolo? The expensive life, restless, her return home, the child, the bus trip? Arrival, Aunt Maria on the bike? Her grandmother? Their caring for the child? Her visit to Mateus’s mother, finding he had sent her money for the refrigerator, her anger? Life in the town, cleaning cars, selling raffle tickets? Going to the clubs, enjoying dancing? Letting the baby cry itself to sleep? Yet care for the boy? Her decision to start the raffle, her friendship with Georgina, discussing the prostitute’s life? Her meeting with Joao, resisting him, the night with him? The possibility of a life with him? Her apprehension because of her commitment to Mateus? The selling of the tickets, the different reactions of the men, lewd, being thrown out, the threat of arrest? The women of the town and their reaction? The reaction of her grandmother and aunt?
6. The friendship with Georgina, Georgina and her way of life, sniffing the polish? The way out of concentrating on the hard life?
7. The raffle, the winning, the night? Her future? The decision to buy the furthest bus ticket?
8. Her meal, with her grandmother and aunt, her decision to leave, on the bus? Joao following – the long wait, his return alone?
9. The portrait of men in the town, their attitudes, work, sex? Irresponsible? Unable to commit themselves?
10. The women, the hard life, at home, jobs? Prostitutes?
11. The pessimism of the film and the continual grind? The optimism of the film and strength of character trying to find a way out of the routine and the humdrum life, and the dreams for a better life?
