* * * THE TELE-PLAYS

A CONQUISTA ( The Conquest )
This Tele-play had a strong entrance for writer M. Osterroht first. Set on a small fisher village near Bahia, in Brazil, three desperadoes after a night in a bar resolve to kidnap beautiful Maria, with intentions less than religious. At an abandoned hut at the beach, the ruffians decide on a card game, as to who will be first to take Maria. The losers not satisfied, unchain a series of events twisting the winner into Maria’s condition of defencelessness. The character play emphasises through sexual symbols on the many different personalities of those primitive desperadoes. 55m.
CAST: Stock company from Glauber Sa’ Brito.
DIR: Nelson Santos. PROD: Glauber Sa' Brito.
PLAY: Manfredo Osterroht. 1966.

LUIZA
All Tele-plays written by newcomer M. Osterroht were passionately set in Bahia Brazil in the 50’s. Here, a sailor after many years returns to his fiancée in Salvador, to finally engage her. In the process, he learns to his dismay that Luiza is already married, throwing him into hysteria and despair. Living in the twilight in which his instincts overpower his mind, the sailor takes the dowry to the first whorehouse for a big party. Angry about his attitude, Luiza comes to intervene, twisting the story to unexpected surprises one way and another. 45m.
CAST: Stock company from Glauber Sa’ Brito.
DIR. & PLAY: Manfredo Osterroht. PROD: Glauber Sa' Brito. 1966

O CAPITÃO ( The Captain )
Tele-play set at the mouth of the River San Francisco in Brazil, where a Captain of a Ferryboat crosses the river, delivering the people and the traffic of both opposite costal harbour towns. The Captain however, a good vivant, has a woman in each harbour. Similar to Balsac’s tale, the Capitains only problem is to avoid the two women to cross the river at the same time. This explosive drama plays like a chess game with sexual content and some loud and wet splashes, revealing typical female innuendos. 55 m.
DIR: Nelson Santos. PROD: Glauber Sa' Brito.
PLAY: Manfredo Osterroht. 1966.

* * * THE THEATRE PLAYS

E’ FIM RODRIGO ( It’s End Rodrigo )
In eighteenth century in Brazil, colonial uprising against the Portuguese oppressors was coming to an end. Revolutionary Rodrigo is to be hanged. In his last whish, he leaves all his assets to his best friend including his beautiful wife, given that women were scarce and highly prised in those days. The Vice-King however, in the last minute grants Rodrigo pardon, who then returns to his home only to learn that his wife, farm, and all his belongings were gone with his best friend. Rodrigo realizes he is left only with his courage and his Country. The play points out not only strong patriotism, but also self-indulgence and the awakening of conscientiousness of being alive in a wild World, in almost Shakespearean lines.
This Theatre-play was written in ‘64, by M. Osterroht then only 14, at college time and had only one presentation. 15 years later it was adapted to big time Theatre production and was staged with great success in major theatre circuits in Brazil. 100m.
CAST: Antonio Donizetti, Antenor Andersen, Vera Vernon. 1978.
WRITEN, DIR. and PROD: M. Osterroht.

A CALDEIRA DO DIABO ( The Devils Pan )
Slapstick comedy at a Police station where every man is guilty other proved innocent, thanks to the lazy and corrupt chief of police. The boiling point is reached slowly by a confused warden who takes everything as granted and can't follow up the sophisticated nuances carefully created for the cover ups by his chief. The Play climaxes are pitched up by the involvement of their respective wife's with absolutely different points of views of society, politics and religion.
Modern social comedy with political connotations.
90 m.
DIR. and PROD: M. Osterroht.
WRITEN: Nirceu Souza.
CAST: Moacir Corsi, Mara Teixeira. Giovanni Facchiano.
1979.

O TESOURO ( The Treasure )
On an isolated coast of Brazil an ancient monastery is on day invaded by a slightly unstable thief. The few monks who still delve there are surprised and frightened. Why the monks can’t figure out, what this crazy madman wants, he creates all kind of havoc and suspicion between them and puts them to deep humiliations and abuses. Finally the good Monks part to action. They imprison the thief, which under the Monks threat tells them about a treasure buried in their monastery 300 years ago. The monks are aghast, because the story is no more than a rotten legend. The thief is an unreliable character and a dangerous outlaw, the monks play the establishment with its rules challenged. The thief escapes and the monks cornered, decide to play him down with superstition and use his ignorance to overcome him, “stealing” his treasure - his soul. From this point onwards a cat and mouse play builds to the final climax, of this spiritual character play, playing with modern ideas of social layers.
One of the most impressive and successful plays of the new Brazilian Theatre from the late seventies, considering the sex-wave at the time this one contains none and was hugely popular. 90m.
CAST: Carlos Guimaraes, Pacelli Amorim, Antenor Andersen, Rodolpho Caesar, Antonio Lobo, Nirceu Souza.
DIR. and PROD: M. Osterroht.
WRITEN: Pacelli Amorim, Rosanna Guffi.
1979

* * * MOTION PICTURES GALLERY:

“THE PICTURE”
Romantic comedy. Color. 45m.
DIR: M. Osterroht.
CAST: Antenor Andersen, Cristina Camargo.
1977.

“RUINS”
Religious action adventure.Color. 30m.
DIR: M. Osterroht.
CAST: Rodolpho Caesar.
1977.

“LIFE BETWEEN LIVES”
Modern drama. Color. 30m.
DIR: M. Osterroht.
CAST: Grace & Wilson.
1977.

TORMENTA NO MACUNJE' (Storm over Macunje')
Represented tradition and regional Brazilian popular stories, highlighting their culture and their strange credo of “Macumba”(kind of religious Voodoo), which allows great scope for mystery and supernatural story telling, not to mention the easy use of story twists, keeping audiences thoughtful and cheerful. Miguel (Paul Prozzbo), returns from the darkest jungles with a haul of diamonds. In Macunje’ he is a rich man, but also a haunted one. His wife was killed out of revenge by an errant gambler (Steeve Schmit). Miguel tries hard to forget, but becomes attracted to a “macumba” rite to revive his beloved wife! On that night, he revives his wife, meets his new love (through exotic Christina Camargo), gets his revenge against the gambler and looses his fortune, only to return to the jungle for more diamonds and a new hope.

Romantic action adventure. Eastman Color. 85m.
DIR. & PROD: Manfredo Osterroht.
SCREENPLAY: Manfredo Osterroht
CAST: Paul Prozzbo, Cristina Camargo, Steeve Schmit, Fernando Perreira, Dalva Oliveira.
1978.

O MISTERIO DA MISSAO (Mystery at the Cloister)
Sets its story in a remote region of Brazil, where a mysterious priest (superbly played by Fernando Perreira) recluse in a mysterious cloister, has romped through the paranormal powers. Time has come to romp into higher levels, so the priest must find an “heir” to his legacy. This man will be a British citizen (played by Steeve Schmit, in an outstanding performance). Locals can’t understand that science is greater than men and in time will lead to the stairwells to God. A stunning beautiful film.

Futuristic thriller. Eastman Color. 30m.
DIR. & PROD: Manfredo Osterroht.
SCREENPLAY: Rosanna Guffi
CAST: Steeve Schmit, Fernando Perreira,
Cristina Camargo, Moacir Corsi.
1979.

FATAL ILUSAO (Fatal Illusion)
Something be said impossible, “Fatal Illusion” is a true story of a man and a woman who fell deeply in love, without ever having met before! …Susan, the young daughter of a wealthy family has a car accident. During her hospital recovery period, she falls in love with Dr. Ricardo (Neilor Caligary) her psychoanalyst. Dr. Ricardo however doesn't notice Susan’s infatuations, frustrated she appeals to a friend for help, countess Karin Grumbaldi for “some tips”. In time the countess not only helps Susan to conquer Dr. Ricardo, but falls herself secretly in love, even so that she has never meet him personally. Tragically Susan has an relapse and depart from this life. A few years after Susan’s death, Dr Ricardo and Karin met casually on the cemetery at Susan’s tomb and both become to realize how much they actually know each other and thanks to Susan, they discover how much they are in love.

Social drama. Eastman Color. 75m.
DIR. & PROD: Manfredo Osterroht.
SCREENPLAY: Manfredo Osterroht
CAST: Neilor Caliary, Rosanna Guffy, Nair Menezes, Norberto Zacca, Valmir Macucco.
1980.

O CABOCLO ( The Half breed )
"Caboclo" refers to the mixed breed of the Brazillian inlands. The story is of an adulterous misdeed, (played here superbly by Al Taborda) involving the town folks of a small village, who after taking their sides, encounter themselves on the opposite side of the mirror. This surprising twist from the morally right side, to the wrong side of their misdeeds and easy judgments of gossip nature, plays a dirty twist on their morale and critic, not only over the inhabitants of that small village, but surprisingly on all of us.

Action and violence. Eastman Color. 60m.
DIR & PROD: Manfredo Osterroht.
SCREENPLAY: Manfredo Osterroht
CAST: Al Taborda, Regina Alves, Moacir Corsi, Mara Teixeira.
1980.

A GARGANTA DO DIABO (The Devils Throat)
Earth’s treasures in the wild Brazilian jungle, are protected from predators and opportunists by a crazy monk, who evens all corruption and evil doings into a vast tragedy. Locals see these events as supernatural and the process of their folklore and legend begins.

Religious Thriller. Eastman Color. 30m.
DIR: M. Osterroht.
SCREENPLAY: M. Osterroht
CAST: Steeve Schmit, Moacir Corsi, Giovanni Facchiano.
1981.

A RESPOSTA VEM DAS ESTRELAS (The Answer comes from the Stars)
Was not so much of a science fiction then a play with ideas about the infinite and finite possibilities. As the story goes, a scientist uncovers that the world of numbers is finite! Appling his theories over the Universe, he concludes that also the Universe must be finite, as mathematics and physics run hand in hand. The only possibility to prove such theory is to go into the human mind, as our Neuron-cells store all these information naturally, reflecting the entire Universe in a smaller scale. The religious trauma is incommensurable, as his experience provokes the instability of religious and consequential political groups, proving the primitive cultural state of our society, the climax of the story.

Science-Fiction. Eastman Color. 75m.
DIR: Manfredo Osterroht.
SCREENPLAY: M. Osterroht, based on "Siddartha" by H. Hesse and "2001" by Arthur Clarke
CAST: Norberto Zacca, Oziris Kluppel, Mauro Pretty, Berto Gonzalves, Manfredo Osterroht.
1982.

* * * NEW ENTRIES GO TO: "NEWS"

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