Synopsis

Uma Mulher Vestida de Sol was shown as a special segment of TV show Terça-Nobre, and proposes to stage a human drama to portray the great collective tragedy of the backlands (sertão), and the man’s struggle with the sunburnt earth. One of Ariano Suassuna’s inspirations for the play was chapter 12 of the Book of Revelation: “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”

The telefilm tells the story of the impossible love between two cousins, Rosa and Francisco, who were supposed to be enemies but fall madly in love. She is the daughter of farmer Joaquim Maranhão, the greatest enemy of Antônio Rodrigues, father of Francisco. In this tale in the vein of Romeo and Juliet of the Brazilian backlands, the two lovers go to extremes to live their great love, having land struggles in the Brazilian Northeast as backdrop.

Director’s Vision

Por Luiz Fernando Carvalho (1994)

A man clothed in sun

We were seating face to face. It had been a few hours of talking about the characters, the adaptation, until my questions led us, each along his own road, to the time of our childhoods. Ariano turned around to face me and, penetratingly as ever, asked me, “How many images do you have of your mother?” I was eager to reply, “One!” And I went on to describe the light, the scenery, where the camera was, where she was. Ariano turned and said, “Then I am happier than you, my friend, I have five of my father.” Something inexplicable was concluded there, in that silence that ensued, like a communion.

For some years now, without any aforethought, my interest in Brazilian culture, supported and encouraged me to foray into this unbridled journey to meet my mother’s past, her Northeastern roots. The stories of that time came to me as blurry and incomplete fables. I put them together one by one, trying to make that real. On the other hand, I did not find a matching universe in my work, something that would make me turn those images into an outlet for my expression.

Fortunately, a few years ago I was presented by Sebastião Vasconcelos to Farsa da Boa Preguiça, by Suassuna. It was instant impact, soon I found there the mix of popular mystical elements I was looking for. It was as if all my blood breathed and followed the reading. I rushed to read everything about Suassuna, listen to the Quinteto Armorial songs and everything that surrounds its rich universe. Suassuna started influencing all my works revolving around Brazilianness (Os Homens Querem Paz, Auto da Nossa Senhora da Luz, and Renascer)

I am very happy to have met a Master, a Master Poet. A master of the soul of this oppressed people, a master with the heart of Don Quixote and the eyes of Antonio Conselheiro.

Creative Process

Director’s sketchbooks

Carta do escritor

Carta de Ariano Suassuna para Luiz Fernando Carvalho
Carta de Ariano Suassuna para Luiz Fernando Carvalho
Carta de Ariano Suassuna para Luiz Fernando Carvalho
Carta de Ariano Suassuna para Luiz Fernando Carvalho
Carta de Ariano Suassuna para Luiz Fernando Carvalho

Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9H4p0GmZkw&t=1s

Frames

Gallery

Painting of Ariano Suassuna
Ariano Suassuna fez e deu de presente esta pintura ao diretor Luiz Fernando Carvalho durante o processo de adaptação da peça Uma Mulher Vestida de Sol, feita por ambos, na casa do escritor, em Recife. A pintura é uma representação do Cristo Sertanejo ladeado por Nossa Senhora das Dores Sertaneja e pelo Vaqueiro com uma lança sangrando Cristo. Esta imagem inspirou a cena final do especial para a televisão.
Painting of Ariano Suassuna
Painting of Ariano Suassuna
Ariano Suassuna gave this painting, made by himself, to director Luiz Fernando Carvalho during the process of adapting the playUma Mulher Vestida de Sol, which was copenned in the writer's house in Recife, in the State of Pernambuco. The painting is a representation of a “Backcountry” Christ besides the “Backcountry” Our Lady of Sorrows and the Cowboy with a spear bleeding Christ. The painting inspired the final scene of the TV special. The director recreated the representation of “Backcountry” Our Lady of Sorrows with the character Rosa Maranhão, played by Teresa Seiblitz.
Click on the photos to see more images

Critical Fortune

14, Jul — 1994

Uma Mulher Vestida de SolChallenges Globo TV Realism

  • Hélio Guimarães
  • Folha de S.Paulo

“Here are the impasses: whether tele theater is still possible at Globo and whether Luiz Fernando Carvalho is not too big for the station’s shows. I hope not.”

Leia Mais

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TV Special Does Justice to Suassuna’s Work and Universe

  • Maurício Melo Júnior
  • Correio da TV

“Finally, Brazilian TV bows to the reality of Brazilian culture. And the final scene, a candid sun-dressed madonna, has closed a genuine effort as a tribute to popular aesthetics.”

—

Between Greek Tragedy and Cordel

  • Arthur Santos Reis
  • Jornal do Brasil

“Uma Mulher Vestida de Sol has had the great impact of bringing the Northeastern popular theater of Paraiba-born Ariano Suassuna to television, meanwhile showing that TV can be aesthetically unbridled.”

Press

Principais notícias

29, May — 1995

Ariano Suassuna, A Knight in Defense of Brazilian Folk Art

  • José Castello
  • O Estado de S.Paulo

Ariano Suassuna: “The first man on TV to understand me was Luiz Fernando Carvalho. I was very pleased (with the TV special Uma Mulher Vestida de Sol) because Luiz Fernando incorporated all my suggestions and never stopped listening to me.”

24, Jun — 1994

The Sun in Couture

  • Patricia Andrade
  • O Globo

Ariano Suassuna: “I am very curious, very anxious. I have never seen this play staged, do you believe it? And now I will see, directed by Luiz Fernando Carvalho, which is someone I trust a lot.”

9, Mar — 1994

Ariano Suassuna Prepares TV Debut

  • Marcelo Migliaccio
  • Folha de S.Paulo

“Director Luiz Fernando Carvalho has managed to more than renew soap opera aesthetics with “Renascer.” With his work, he has won the admiration of scholar and writer Ariano Suassuna, 66, who will have his first play, “Uma Mulher Vestida de Sol,” adapted for television. ”

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10, Mar — 1994

Ariano In the Light of Globo

  • João Luiz Vieira
  • Jornal do Commercio

“The main responsible for diverting the writer from Pernambuco from voluntary ostracism was director Luiz Fernando Carvalho, 33.”

3, Jul — 1994

Uma Mulher Vestida de Sol on Terça-Nobre

  • Selênio Homem
  • Diário de Pernambuco

“Uma Mulher Vestida de Sol is Suassuna’s first literary creation to be adapted for television. When all the changes were finally set, as discussed between him and the director, they both plunged headlong into the work.”

12, Jun — 1994

Suassuna Finally on TV

  • Angelo Rossi
  • O Estado de S.Paulo

“It is the production of Globo TV that has been mostly rehearsed and discussed before recording. It will be one month of rehearsals this week, which is usually unthinkable for the industrial television pace.”

12, Jul — 1994

Human Drama in Backlands Collective Tragedy

  • O Popular

“There is no doubt that Luiz Fernando was able to bring together a team that was very much in tune with the author’s mind, universe, work, and sensibility.”

18, Jun — 1994

TV Special Adapts Ariano Suassuna

  • Márcia Penna Firme
  • Jornal do Brasil

“Suassuna shows no fear of language switching to TV, on the contrary, is quite enthusiastic about the experience.”

13, Mar — 1994

A Giant on TV Screen

  • Ivana Moura
  • Diário de Pernambuco

“Since yesterday director Luiz Fernando Carvalho has been interviewing actors from the city of Pernambuco. His list consists of some 40 candidates. Known for the care of the details, he prefers not to give away any names.”

—

“I was emotional until I was shy”

  • Eduardo Souza Lima
  • O Globo

Ariano Suassuna: “The original spirit was respected too much. I trusted Luiz Fernando Carvalho’s work a lot, but he outdid himself.”

Academic Studies

Uma Mulher Vestida de Sol Paves Way for Future Television Experiments

  • Carolina Bassi de Moura
  • USP
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Créditos

Uma Mulher Vestida de Sol, work by Ariano Suassuna. With Teresa Seiblitz, Raul Cortez, Floriano Peixoto, Sebastião Vasconcelos, Miriam Pires, Ana Lucia Torre, Nanego Lira, Soya Lira, Ilya São Paulo, Bertrand Duarte, Lamartine Ferreira, Orlando Vieira, Linneu Dias. Costume Luciana Buarque. Body Preparation Maura Baiocchi. Character Makeup Guilherme Pereira. Soundtrack Antônio Madureira. Scenography Lia Renha and Fernando Veloso (Grupo Corpo). Visual Arts Luiz Rossi and Julio Sekigutti. Art Production Isabela Sá. Production Flávio Nascimento. Cinematography Dib Luft. Cameraman Ricardo Fuentes. Adaptation Ariano Suassuna, Íris Gomes da Costa and Luiz Fernando Carvalho. Edition Luiz Fernando Carvalho and Raquel Couto. Assistant Director Raquel Couto Direction and Concept Luiz Fernando Carvalho.