A Story of love between Janaína and an Indian warrior who, upon dying, takes the form of a bird. For over six centuries, the couple’s story flourishes, passing through four phases of Brazil’s history: colonization, slavery, military regime and the future, in 2096, when a war over water takes place in Rio de Janeiro. Throughout all these periods, the two lovers struggle against oppression. An unofficial biography of Rio de Janeiro.
In production for six years, Rio 2096, A Story of Love and Fury is the result of extensive research with historians and anthropologists, based on which the director and screenwriter decided which epochs in the country’s history were to be broached. “I am very interested in Brazilian history and comic books. As a screenwriter, I am aware that animation offers unlimited narrative possibilities. Brazilian film production rarely focuses on telling the different aspects of our history in an interesting and entertaining manner and one able to lead to reflection”, says Luiz Bolognesi.
The feature film was made using classic animation techniques: the characters were drawn and animated using pencil on paper based on the emotions played out by the actors. Selton Mello, Camila Pitanga and Rodrigo Santoro enacted the scenes in a studio with the crew later using these recordings as a reference for their work, a technique which allows for more subtle and expressive results, valorizing both the potential of the cast as well as the animators. “I was very careful with the cast’s choice. I needed great actors. You can’t get heightened emotions, density and different layers of interpretation from professionals who are not, at the least, great actors”, the director emphasizes.