New York -- Brazilian Film at the Havana Film Festival New York - BEYOND THE LIGHT is a documentary film about six blind Brazilians, who expose their difficulties, joys, dreams and emotions. Ivy Goulart, the director, connects past and present by exploring the life of Louis Braille, inventor of the powerful reading and writing system, which allows the visually impaired access to education and integration into a seeing world.
There will be ONE SCREENING ONLY! / Sunday, April 18 @1pm / Quad Cinema - 34 W. 13th St. (bet. 5th & 6th Av.), NYC. For a complete schedule of events and venues, please log on to http://www.hffny.com - Check out trailer on http://www.goulartfilmes.com
Synopsis: Beyond the Light takes us into the universe of the visually impaired through six blind people in Brazil. Their difficulties, joys, dreams and emotions. In upbeat accounts, they expose the reality of their lives and show that the road to a better life is through education and information. The importance of Louis Braille in this process is crucial and, therefore, Goulart went to France to discover the story of this renowned man who invented a simple and useful writing system, which opened the doors of knowledge to all those who can’t see.
"Poor blind woman, why do these eyes of yours cry so much?
No, my eyes don’t cry.
It’s the tears that cry
Longing for my eyes."
(Álvaro Moreyra, Brazilian poet)
Production: Goulart Filmes and Avanturi Productions
Executive producers: Marcelo Nigri and Nayglon Goulart
Producers: Marcelo Nigri, Ivy Goulart and Nayglon Goulart
Director and screenwriter: Ivy Goulart
Photography: Ivy Goulart
B&W photographs: Walter Carvalho
Editing and research: Marcelo Nigri and Ivy Goulart
Sound operator: Nayglon Goulart
Sound recording: Timothy Korn and Marcelo Nigri
Re-recording mixer: Tim Starnes
Portuguese audio description and narration: Ivy Goulart
English audio description: Allie Bethea
English narration: Josh Philip Weinstein
Interviewees: Laélio Inácio, Vilmar Dal Toè, Francisco de Assis Domingos, Alexandre Rzatki, Maria da Gloria Almeida, Manoel de Souza, Valnei Teixeira, Luiz Goulart, Albertina Pessoa Domingos, Eulália Pereira Inácio, Rosimeri de Fátima Dal Toè and Claudia Rodrigues
Voice-over actors: George Shepherd (Laélio Inácio), Tom Shewchuk (Vilmar Dal Toè), Rhasaan Oyasaba Manning (Francisco de Assis Domingos), Mike Catapano (Alexandre Rzatki), Hilma Falkowski (Maria da Gloria Almeida), Morris Mandell (Manoel de Souza), Stephen Moskovitz (Valnei Teixeira), Dan Royer (Luiz Goulart), Minna Taylor (Albertina Pessoa Domingos), Cathy Figuccio (Eulália Pereira Inácio), De Anne Dubin (Rosimeri de Fátima Dal Toè) and Laura Augeri (Claudia Rodrigues)
Music: Heitor Villa-Lobos, by Aldo Baldin
Audio description consultant: Ana Fátima Berquó
Art designer: Luciane Nard
Translation: Marcelo Nigri and Robert McCullough
Screenings
Showings:
* Federal Senate of Brazil – Week Honoring Persons with Disabilities (Brasília, Brazil, December 2009);
* United Nations – International Day of Persons with Disabilities (New York, December 2009);
* Benjamin Constant Institute (Rio de Janeiro, June 2009).
Showing in Celebration of Louis Braille's Bicentennial:
* Rio Grande do Sul Public Library (Porto Alegre, Brazil, August 2009).
Festivals:
* 11th Havana Film Festival New York – Official Selection (New York, April 2010);
* 9th Picture This...International Disability Film Festival (Calgary, Canada, February 2010).
