It’s no surprise that German producers have made the long journey to Brazil many times to realise their creative vision.
Brazil doesn’t simply offer a variety of cultural influences — it’s also a popular location for directors from all over the world to produce documentaries and movies. The reason for this is obvious: it provides a biodiversity like no other — from the rainforest in the northwest to the mountains and highlands in the centre to the vast plains and forests in the south. In addition to this, filming in Brazil is more cost-effective than Europe or North America for many producers.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the various movies Germans were involved with. For the first production, we must go a few decades back in time.
Das Traumschiff
In 1984, Alfred Vorher directed the twelfth movie of the
Traumschiff series. While the film begins in the northern German city of Hamburg,
Rio de Janeiro plays the biggest role. Like all of the movies in the series, the plot contains a love story and a big fight which ends in reconciliation — all of this plays out on the backdrop of beautiful landscapes and insights into cultures far, far removed from the German viewer. Of course, the episode showed what Rio is mainly famous for:
Carnaval. Renowned actors, such as Heinz Weiss and Sascha Hehn, were part of the crew.
This wasn’t the only time the
Traumschiff stopped in Brazil. Three years later, in 1987, the ship’s destination was again the South American country. Since then it has featured multiple times as the destination of the cruise ride and its well-known actors on board.
Das Salz der Erde (The Salt of The Earth)
Photo by Das Salz der Erde
Bach in Brazil
Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the most famous German composers, meets Brazilian Samba. This film was made in 2016, set in the city of Ouro Preto in the state of Minas Gerais, as well as other places. German Ansgar Ahlers directed the film. One of the ensemble actors was Edgar Selge.
Bach in Brazil is about a music teacher, Marten Brückling, who moves to Brazil and teaches Bach to young prisoners. When the teacher, played by Edgar Selge, arrives in Brazil, he’s confronted by a whole new (cultural) world. Even though he struggles with the language, he’s able to build a connection with the young people through Bach’s music.
The film highlights not only the German culture, but the South American one as well. It features a mix of classic German music and Brazilian rhythm.
The movie won the NDR Filmpreis 2015.
Die Mannschaft
This might be the most painful (for Brazilians) German movie that has ever been produced in Brazil. It’s about the German national football team that won the FIFA World Cup in 2014 in Brazil.
The documentary shows the team as they try to master some phrases in Portuguese — and mostly fail. This is followed by the probably biggest trauma in
Brazilian football history, the 1-7 score in the semifinals.
The camera follows the team as they move into their accommodations in Campo Bahia to prepare for the final, and then go on to win the World Cup after defeating Argentina 1-0.
It takes the audience into the famous Maracanã, highlights famous sights in Rio de Janeiro, and ends in Berlin with the team celebrating the win with the fans. Within the span of roughly 90 minutes, what Brazil is most famous for in Europe is fully on display: football.
Brazil has often been the destination of German productions. These examples are only a few. Due to its complex cultural and climatic conditions, the South American country offers great potential for being the centre of action for many genres — from the classic cinema movie to elements of TV shows.
While the landscapes are extraordinary in Brazil, the hurdles you must overcome to produce your project can be vast as well. Story Productions is here to help make your dream project a reality. As your co-production partner, we handle a variety of tasks, including location scouting — crucial for any successful shoot.
Over the years, we have partnered with several German production companies and would love to fulfil your needs as well. In fact, we even have a version of our website in German, with articles, interviews, filming guides and details on the services we provide.
Check it out!
