Gabriel Leone and Alice Braga bring to life the characters Eduardo and Mônica , from the hit song by Legião Urbana , on cinema screens starting January 20th. The film of the same name was previewed in an exclusive press screening, and Wikimetal was present during the screening and the subsequent press conference to bring you all the details about the production.
"Eduardo e Mônica" is the second Legião Urbana song to be adapted for the big screen by René Sampaio , who also directed Faroeste Caboclo (2013). With the same team as the first film, Eduardo e Mônica tells a sensitive and delicate story about a couple in love learning to deal with their differences in Brasília in the 1980s.
The film's soundtrack provides a fully immersive experience in the era in which the story takes place, featuring a lot of national and international rock from the late 80s, including great classics from bands like Titãs , The B-52s , A-ha , The Clash , and even Legião Urbana themselves. A big dream of the production was to add a Ramones to both films, but this hasn't been possible yet. "We tried with Faroeste Caboclo , we tried with Eduardo e Mônica , but the Ramones don't answer emails," says René.
“The musical texture of the film was very important to us,” reflects the director. “I’m from Brasília, so Brasília rock meant a lot to me. I think that, for those who were from Brasília in the 80s, [rock] said: 'You from Brasília can conquer the world.' Because we are a very small city with little cultural representation, and Brasília rock came along, with Legião Urbana, Paralamas do Sucesso, Capital Inicial , and other bands that were known in the city but didn’t become famous throughout Brazil, saying to those from Brasília at that time: 'You can conquer the world. Believe in your dream. Go ahead, be an artist.'”
Much of this "transformative" feeling that shaped the 80s generation is represented in the character Monica, who takes on an activist, defiant, and challenging personality in the film. Monica studies medicine, as mentioned in the song, but she is also a visual artist and engaged in political causes – a theme that is subtly addressed throughout the film, but which helps to recreate the atmosphere of a post-dictatorship Brazil.
“The song I listened to the most, which for me was Monica's song, was 'Perfeição' (Perfection),” says Alice. “For me, that was a very strong drive. It touched me deeply in a certain place and it was the soundtrack I listened to the most. Sadly, it's a lyric that speaks a lot to Brazil today, like so many other Legião Urbana lyrics. I think our rock has a power that, unfortunately, transcends generations, speaking to other generations, but it can inspire in a very profound way.”
Unlike the character Monica, young Eduardo doesn't know much about rock music and pays more attention to soap opera soundtracks, but actor Gabriel Leone not only considers Legião Urbana his favorite band, but also had his own rock group back in school. He recalls liking to start his school essays by quoting Renato Russo and says he discovered Legião Urbana through his parents, who were big fans.
“For me, Legião Urbana’s first album is the best debut album by a Brazilian band,” says Leone. “There are several other incredible ones, from Barão Vermelho , from Ultraje a Rigor , but Legião Urbana’s first album already has a complexity, a depth of Renato’s lyrics, that, in my opinion, no other band started in that way. The album begins with 'Será' and ends with 'Por Enquanto'. That alone is incredible, but it also has 'Soldados', 'Geração Coca-Cola', so it’s an album that immediately shows Legião Urbana’s identity, unlike other bands that, in my opinion, matured over time, especially in their lyrics. I think Renato arrives showing everything.”
Eduardo and Monica arrives in theaters in 2022, bringing issues that not only remain relevant but also encourage dialogue and the collective effort to see the differences and nuances of others from a less polarized perspective and more dedicated to understanding the reality of others. With sensitivity, intelligence, and plenty of rock 'n' roll, the film traces the growth of these two characters alongside the streets of a third, which welcomed Renato Russo and the real people who inspired this story: the city of Brasília.
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