After the chaos that Brazil - and Brazilian cinema – endured in the early 90’s, it was necessary to find a different manner to produce films. On this film and my previous one, half the crew had never worked in cinema before. With the exception of Fernanda Montenegro and Marilia Pêra, the most respected actresses in Brazil, the majority of the actors were making their debuts, along with the art director, screenwriters, costume designer and casting director. The mixture of professionalism and experience from a part of the crew and the desire and enthusiasm of those that were discovering filmmaking made "Central do Brasil" possible. More than that: it made filming this story an extremely enjoyable experience.

Like "Foreign Land", "Central do Brasil" was rehearsed like a play before being filmed. Strange as it may seem, this process allows a lot of improvisation during the shoot. What you find on location can be easily compared to what you had in the rehearsal phase.

This blend of preparation and respect for on-the-spot intuition were vital for "Central do Brasil". It also allowed us to finish the film before schedule, working within a specific budget, essential factors in independent production.

Walter Salles

centraldobrasil@videofilmes.com.br