The return of iconic duo Trueba and Marsical after the celebrated “Chico y Rita” takes us from Cuba to Brazil, to follow the mysterious murder of a music journalist.

Directors: Fernando Trueba & Javier Mariscal.
Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese with English Subtitles
Year: 2023
Running time: 103′

Festivals & Awards: Nominee: Best Animated Film Goya Awards and Gaudí Awards; Toronto International Film Festival, San Sebastián International Film Festival, CPH:DOX, BFI London Film Festival.

Where: Cameo Cinema(38 Home St, Edinburgh EH3 9LZ)
When: Sunday 14 April, event starts at 17:30

*

Once again the duo delivers a colorful animated film filled with sounds and rhythm of the golden bossa nova years, exploring the always contentious relationship of art, politics and memory.

While writing a book about the Brazilian bossa nova craze of the 1960s, music journalist Jeff Harris came across the forgotten pianist Tenório Jr. He was considered one of Brazil’s leading jazz musicians, but he mysteriously disappeared in 1976 during a tour with Brazilian poet and singer Vinicius de Moraes.

TRAILER:

The more people Harris questions about Tenório, the more his fascination grows, and he becomes determined to solve the mystery of Tenório’s disappearance. This means delving into the dark period when military regimes seized power in many South American countries—including Argentina, where Tenório was last seen in 1976.

To relate the story of Harris’ quest, directors Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba (Chico & Rita) once again chose animation. This is a masterstroke, because it brings to life a colorful era of optimism and exciting music. But just as the heyday of bossa nova was abruptly ended by the Brazilian dictatorship, the best jazz pianist the country had ever known also became a victim of political violence.

Academy Award-nominated team behind Chico & Rita

Fernando Trueba is a Spanish screenwriter, film director, and producer. Among many awards, he has won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film with Belle Époque in 1994, the Goya Award as Best Director three times, and a Silver Bear for Year of Enlightenment at the 37th Berlin International Film Festival. Miracle of Candeal won the Goya for Best Documentary, and Chico and Rita won the Goya for Best Feature Animation along with a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 84th Academy Awards. As a music producer he has won two Grammy Awards and four Latin Grammy Awards.

Javier Mariscal is a Spanish artist and designer whose work has spanned a wide range of mediums from painting and sculpture, to interior design and landscaping. Mariscal’s language is synthetic, with few strokes and a great deal of expressiveness. He is the creator of Cobi, the merchandise-friendly mascot of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and was the subject of major exhibitions and retrospectives in prestigious institutions worldwide He was nominated for an Academy Award and has won the Goya for Best Feature Animation for Chico and Rita, alongside co-director Fernando Trueba.