Babenco: Tell Me When I Die (2020)

Babenco: Tell Me When I Die Poster
Original Title: Babenco - Alguém Tem que Ouvir o Coração e Dizer: Parou

Besieged by cancer and nearing the end, the genius Argentine-Brazilian filmmaker Héctor Babenco (1946-2016) asks Bárbara Paz, his wife, for one last wish: to be the protagonist of his own death.

Introduction
"Babenco: Tell Me When I Die" is a 2020 movie directed by Barbara Paz, a distinguished Brazilian film director and actress. The film is a compelling, emotive documentary showcasing the life and work of Hector Babenco, the influential Argentine-Brazilian filmmaker known for telling stories of social and financial battle in Latin America. The movie looks into Babenco's enthusiasms, worries, and his repeating battle with cancer, curating an intimate and factual narrative about his life.

Details of the Film
"Babenco: Tell Me When I Die" is structured as a prolonged discussion in between Paz and Babenco, two artists deeply immersed in their craft. The film is a complex mix of fiction and truth, producing an uncommon documentary depicting a psychological and spiritual connection, with a strong component of fantasy. It checks out Babenco's multiple healthcare facility stays, the medical procedures he went through and tells his efforts to stick onto life through the movies he created.

Personal, Profound and Evocative
Paz's film is less biographical and more a love letter to her late husband, featuring a series of raw exchanges in the hospital space where Babenco spent much of his time. His repeating fight with illness is untangled through close-ups of medical treatments, depicting the cinematic battle in between life and death in explicit detail. The movie subtly records the pain and fear related to cancer.

The Cinematic Approach of the Film
The film is an intricate layering of elusive memories, fantastical visions, and excerpts from Babenco's films. Carried out in black and white with symbolic usages of color, Paz handles to create an artful cohabitation of gritty realism and dream-like surrealism. The film utilizes archival footage and stories from Babenco's critically well-known films to offer a cinematic context for his life.

Expedition of Babenco's Film-making
"Babenco: Tell Me When I Die" commemorates Babenco's films, such as "Pixote" and "Kiss of the Spider Woman", which are excerpts from this homage. In among the poignant interviews, Babenco exposes that cinema was his way of sustaining life.

Reception of the Film
The film is a homage to an enthusiast, a filmmaker, and a guy challenged by his death. It is raw, individual, powerful, and aesthetically spectacular. It sees Barbara Paz and Hector Babenco team up in an extensive cinematic token of love that strikes a chord with audiences. Considering that its release, it has actually drawn in a favourable action from the audience and critics alike for its special take on life, death, and cinema.

Conclusion
"Babenco: Tell Me When I Die" is a poetic and deeply intimate documentary about the durability of the human spirit and the effect of renowned filmmakers like Hector Babenco. Director Barbara Paz weaves the threads of reality and cinematic dream together to represent the touching truth of Babenco's life, his love for movie theater, and his bold fight against cancer. The movie is a statement to cinematic resilience, serving as a captivating epitaph to one of the most influential figures in Latin American movie theater.

Top Cast

  • Héctor Babenco (small)
    Héctor Babenco
    Self
  • Willem Dafoe (small)
    Willem Dafoe
    Self
  • Bárbara Paz (small)
    Bárbara Paz
    Self
  • Ana Simonsen
  • Pedro Simonsen
  • Chen Lin
    Hong Kong Model
  • Fernanda Montenegro (small)
    Fernanda Montenegro
    Banquet Attendee
  • Paulo José (small)
    Paulo José
    Banquet Attendee
  • Fernanda Torres (small)
    Fernanda Torres
    Banquet Attendee
  • Selton Mello (small)
    Selton Mello
    Banquet Attendee
  • Chico Diaz (small)
    Chico Diaz
    Banquet Attendee