Film: Music According to Tom Jobim
Director: Nelson Pereira dos Santos
Program: Special Events
Tickets: Oct 2. 6:00pm, 8:30pm
Why you should see it:
A tribute from one legendary Brazilian artist to another, Music According to Tom Jobim is a story told through emotion. Weaving through clips of musical performances, acclaimed director Nelson Pereira dos Santos shows how Jobim’s bossa nova style influenced and inspired his contemporaries, as well as musicians today. Dos Santos uses gritty, original footage to set the tone for each segment, putting the viewer right at each passionate performance. Icons like Sammy Davis, Jr. and Ella Fitzgerald show the love and respect they had for Jobim in their interpretations of his classics. His universal impact is made evident by covers of his songs in numerous languages, many of which display a depth of emotion that rivals what Jobim originally brought to the songs, sometimes decades prior.
Track record:
The film will have its world premiere at the 49th New York Film Festival.
About the director:
Brazilian director Nelson Pereira dos Santos boasts a career spanning more than half a century. His films, which often focus on the complex nature of life in Brazil, have earned him four Golden Berlin Bear nominations at the Berlinale, three Palme d'Or nominations and wins for two other awards at Cannes, and a host of awards at other festivals at Brazil and abroad. His most well-known film outside of Brazil is How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman (Como Era Gostoso o Meu FrancĂŞs, 1971).
What the critics are saying:
No critics have weighed in yet, but stay tuned to the NYFF Facebook and Twitter pages for new reviews of this and other festival films.
What the NYFF programmers say:
“Antonio Carlos Jobim is the man who gave the world bossa nova, the author of “The Girl from Ipanema” and dozens of popular songs sung by artists from all over the world ranging from Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and all the Brazilian musicians who have used his works extensively. He passed away a few years ago and this film is a tribute done to him by one of Brazil’s greatest filmmakers, Nelson Pereira dos Santos—a tribute from one giant of Brazilian culture to another. The film focuses on the performance of Jobim’s work. We get some information about his life, but it’s really about how much his works continue to live. We hear Japanese versions of his songs and German version of his songs and many more. We appreciate how Jobim has become one of the greatest gifts Brazil has given to the world.” —Richard Peña, Program Director
