Documentaries participating in the current international film festival display that Rio de Janeiro may not be Vienna— where such geniuses of so-called classical music as Haydn, Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven thrived– but in its own way so-called Marvelous City has been and continues to be an international capital of music.
The documentaries include this portrait of a great Brazilian pianist Joao Carlos Assis Brasil and the story of Carioca genius of the Villa Isabel district, Noel Rosa, who in his 27 years (Viennese Franz Schubert lived only 31 years) produced a treasure chest of unforgettable melodies which continue to be sung, played and are beloved.
“Mergulho no Escuro” (“Diving in the Dark”) by young Brazilian filmmakers Isis Mello and Anna Costa e Silva (directors and script writers) follows the footsteps and intimacy of the Carioca artist.
His death at 76 years of age 6 September ,2021 during the COVID pandemic shocked and saddened the musical world and his loyal fans just as the sudden death of another genius, his twin brother saxophonist Victor Assis Brasil in 1981 at only 35 years of age, was a shock to all of those who loved and appreciated Victor´s international stature as a top jazz musician.
Following Joao Assis around the streets of his native Rio de Janeiro, at the Villa Lobos music school and concerts at Music in the Museum, this observer (who had performed with Joao numerous times) was reminded of the hackneyed phrase “my life would make a film.”
And indeed, the life and times of a versatile pianist who won third prize in the 1965 International Beethoven Competition, performing with the Vienna Philharmonic and yet accompanied and recorded with such Brazilian pop music stars as Ney Matogrosso, Maria Bethania and Alaide Costa among others, is worthy subject of a documentary.
The documentary includes brief interview with Joao´s late mother Elba, recollections of his brother Victor by Joao and a master class at the Villa Lobos school by an enthusiastic and indeed musically lucid professor Joao Assis Brasil, which most of us who knew the pianist never knew.
The pianist´s legacy is a Camerata, or small orchestra in his name. But like many musical entities in the city of where such musical greats as Tom Jobim, Ary Barroso, Villa Lobos, Pixinguinha, Guerra Peixe and Radames Gnattali once reigned, the Camerata´s activities seem to have fizzled out as Rock in Rio and Rap overtake the musical world.
Isis Mello studied at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and created and produced the series “Olhar” (“Look”) and “Os Impares” (“The Odd Ones “) for the Brazil´s TV channel “Curta” (“Short”).
Anna Costa e Silva,36, studied in her native Brazil as well as earning as Master´s degree at the New York School of Visual Arts.
Oddly enough in contrast to another well -done but long documentary on Noel Rosa, this viewer found the documentary on Joao Carlos Brasil to be too short. Perhaps there is more in the archives of other sources to implement this noble homage recalling a Brazilian musician who has not died for many of us.