Brazzil

Chrystianne Rochat. Pay attention to this name. You'll probably hear much more about this young movie director who just had her Hollywod debut with Novela, Novela, a film she wrote, directed and starred in.
By Liana Alagemovits

Have you ever wondered what goes on backstage of a soap opera? Which plots are cleverly elaborated, reaching far beyond the imagination of the audience? What crosses the mind of those who live the lives of the characters in each soap opera? What would it be like to experience the adventures and misfortunes of the ingénue or to be the male lead with all of the women at his feet? Or the director with the power to modify each character's destiny and consequently the actors as if he were God? Wouldn't it be spectacular to enter into the combined world of realism and surrealism to single-handedly change the lives of the characters and create a dramatic ending to your favorite soap opera?

All of these questions prompted Chrystianne Rochat to write, produce and direct her first film Novela, Novela. In her screen debut, the original script, shot in both English and Portuguese, features a multiracial cast including twenty Brazilian actors. According to Rochat, "the work of Brazilian actors is appreciated worldwide but unfortunately due to the limited number of projects that attract international attention, we Brazilians still do not have a space in the market that really shows that we are here.

"Brazilian cinema, with few exceptions like Central Station, nominated for an Oscar last year, and more recently I, you and them just released in the United States, is not as widely recognized as Brazilian music, for instance. My decision to make this film using a predominantly Brazilian cast was to reinforce that there are a lot of talented Brazilian actors, writers, directors, technicians, special effect artists and composers living in California. By showcasing Brazilian talent in my films I want to unite the artistic community here so that we can start a Brazilian cultural movement that will be appreciated in Brazil and internationally."

Rochat gained experience through extensive travel and by studying different techniques, such as Stanislavisky, Bretch and Meisner, to arrive at what she humorously refers to as her own "Chrystianovskyniano Method". She began studying acting at the Faculdade da Cidade da Lagoa, a private university in Rio de Janeiro. Soon thereafter, however, she decided to move to Los Angeles to continue her studies because she was intrigued by American acting techniques.

"In my opinion," she says, "the American actors are the most natural and subtle in the world, besides being the best-trained in every way. Here every actor dances, sings, taps and I think that this dedication to their art is very cool."

Later, as her desire to learn varying acting techniques increased, she went to live in Europe and did theater in Paris and Lisbon. "I wanted to learn how the Europeans worked. I wish I could have done theater in Russia too. Although that would not have worked since I don't speak Russian!" Rochat commented jokingly of her inability to perform in Russian.

After her experience in Europe, Rochat returned to Los Angeles were she started acting in films and writing scripts. In 1997, she decided to return to South America to focus on the art form in Brazil. While living in Brazil, she wrote the script for Alice in Rio, based on the Lewis Carroll classic Alice in Wonderland, adapted to the urban life of the slums in Rio de Janeiro. She wrote a similar script adapting the French play Ondine by Jean Giraudoux. Still, she found time to experience what it was like to work on the novela (Brazilian soap opera) Mandacaru under the direction of Walter Avancini.

From this experience she gained insight on the production process and further described this opportunity as "a great testing ground for the film, Novela, Novela. The idea of creating a link between the audience and their favorite show always appealed to me. Brazilians' involvement in soap operas inspired me to imagine what would happen if the two sides were to meet in a coincidental situation. As an observer of both sides, I was then able to identify the discrepancies of what the network wanted to show and what the audience wanted to see. I discovered that while the audience depends on the entertainment of the television, the television depends on the ratings and the two extremes are interdependent and ironically unable to fulfill the other's needs."

Rochat also sought to demystify the vie en rose associated with actors and used the film Novela, Novela to expose the reality of the life of an actor who is not normal like everyone else and is not as easy as many would think. "Actors choose a profession that demand talents within their personalities and emotions not required in other professions. Basically, the working tool of an actor is himself: his body, his emotions, his senses, his memories. That is their reality and still these beings are able to provoke laughter, emotions and entertainment. And they are happy about it, even though they have their issues."

She reflected on her experience as an actor and more recently a director. Citing an example from the film, Rochat used robbers to symbolize the audience and as a vehicle to expose everyday social issues. She further described the robbers as "uneducated people marginalized by an uneven society that didn't give them a chance to exploit their potential." With their unique philosophy on life, the robbers depict the struggle of overcoming the system that perpetuates their insignificance.

In 1999, the original, 15-minute film script of Novela, Novela was selected by the Centro Cultural do Banco do Brasil (Cultural Center for the Arts sponsored by the Bank of Brazil) at the Rio de Janeiro Short Film Festival. When the project was well received, Rochat took the initiative to develop a full length digital production upon her return to Los Angeles. According to Rochat, she found the "magic potion" that enabled her to produce the film independently in Hollywood amongst millionaire producers.

"I believed in the good faith of people. I knew what I wanted and was ready to fight. The DV enables new talents to appear and low-budget, meaningful productions to be executed. With a well structured script and a lot of will power, it is possible to create a good project," said Rochat about her decision to work independently on a limited budget.

According to the young director, her cast of 26 actors were extremely supportive and the atmosphere of the set was great because as an actor, she respected them for their talents. `Since I also acted in the film, it was a lot of fun to experiment on both sides as director and actor. They gave themselves entirely in order to give me the results that I was seeking. Everything went great! The vibes were high and I can say that I have already been compensated for my work," Rochat commented on her dual role in the production process.

The director organized screenings for the cast and had little difficulty finding Brazilian actors in Los Angeles since Brazilians are amongst those in search of their "big break" in Hollywood. She further explained, "I found experienced actors like Eduardo Dias, Beto Simas, Paulo Landim, among others. I also had a few actors who were beginners before the first day of shooting and are now considered professionals. The group was very talented and homogenous."

"My main concern was the artistic aspect of the film. I was very clear and humble when I asked for help and at any moment I could have sold my soul to the devil. Or, simply put, everyone who contributed to this project was willing to do so because they believed in the potential and liked the story. I wanted people with positive energy around me." She explained of her desire to seek assistance from her peers throughout the process. With one film complete, her life in post-production mode has actually made her realize that this is only the beginning of her life as a producer. The level of commitment and investment that was involved in creating a film, affirmed Rochat's love for the project, the importance of support from family and friends and her belief throughout the project that "there are a lot of good people out there". She learned the valuable lesson that life is full of surprises if you dare to dream.

A sneak preview of Novela, Novela was shown in Los Angeles in March before the film's premiere at New York International Independent Film Festival that ran from March 31st through April 7th. The film will also compete at the Los Angeles International Independent Film Festival in June.

Liana Alagemovits, the author, from the Brazilian Press International is vice-president of the Chamber of Commerce Brazil-California and hostess of Perdidos pela América, a cable-TV show. You may contact her at movits@earthlink.net

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