The Garden of Afflictions
A documentary around the life and philosophy of Olavo de Carvalho, by Josias Teofilo
Synopsis
Movie: The Garden of Afflictions (Original " O Jardim das Aflições")
Director: Josias Teofilo / Star: Olavo de Carvalho
Release date: May 11, 2017 (Brazil)
Language: Portuguese / Subtitles: English US
Length: 1.5 hours
Filming locations: Virginia, USA
Production company: Lavra Filmes
The biographical trajectory, the routine and the thought of Brazilian philosopher Olavo de Carvalho, these are the thematic axes of the documentary feature The Garden of Afflictions. The film portrays the daily life of the philosopher at his home in Colonial Heights, Virginia, where he now resides, capturing the atmosphere of intellectual work, family life, and especially his philosophical thinking about the autonomy of individual conscience in opposition to the tyranny of collectivity. The contrast between daily life and philosophical transcendence is the documentary’s foundation.
The film is proposed as a poetic study of a character that is increasingly known and studied in Brazil, with thousands of copies sold - the bestseller O Mínimo Que Você Precisa Saber Para Não Ser Um Idiota (All You Need to Know Not To Become an Idiot), a collection of articles written between 1997 and 2013, has sold over 320,000 copies. However, the contact Brazilians have had with Olavo de Carvalho is always at a distance, through his writings or the Internet, since he currently lives in the United States. The film is directed by Josias Teófilo, a Brazilian filmmaker based in Virginia (USA), and has interviews with Wagner Carelli, also a journalist and creator of magazines Bravo! and República. The film is produced by Matheus Bazzo.
Director and screen writer
Josias Teófilo is a filmmaker and author of the book "O Cinema Sonhado," winner of the best essay award from the Academia Pernambucana de Letras. He is also the director of the award-winning documentary "The Garden of Afflictions", and "Nem tudo se desfaz" ("Not Everything Falls Apart"), films that were shown for 17 weeks in Brazilian cinemas. He is a weekly columnist for Revista Crusoé, where he writes about art and culture.
