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Legendary Musician & Brazilian Culture Minister Margareth Menezes On Rebuilding The Country's Film Sector & Regulating Streamers: 'We Want What Is Fair'

Legendary Musician & Brazilian Culture Minister Margareth Menezes On Rebuilding The Country's Film Sector & Regulating Streamers: 'We Want What Is Fair'

Yahoo14-05-2025

EXCLUSIVE: In our times of diminishing box office receipts, there is, ironically, no greater demonstration of cinema's enduring power than in the actions of those who try to destroy it.
Take Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's former far-right president, who, on his first day in office after a long campaign focused on defence, crime, and financial deregulation, moved to disband the Ministry of Culture, folding the department into an authoritarian, so-called Ministry of Citizenship. What followed were sustained attacks on the country's cultural field, with a particular focus on cinema. Cash was pulled from national cinema organizations and censors were placed on publicly funded projects, crippling film culture in the nation.
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'We found a wasteland of investments,' Margareth Menezes tells us of the country's film industry at the time. Menezes — a legend of Brazil's music industry, often described as the queen of Brazilian Afropop — was appointed as the head of a reformed Culture Office established in 2022 following the election of left-wing maverick Inácio Lula da Silva.
'With the resumption of the Ministry, we had to restructure public policies to recognize the challenges faced by the national audiovisual sector,' Menezes adds. 'In 2023 and 2024, approximately R$4.8 billion in resources from the Audiovisual Sector Fund and incentive laws managed by the National Cinema Agency (ANCINE) were made available to the production sector.'
In short, Brazil is firmly back in the film game, and Menezes is making the case here in Cannes, where two Brazilian titles — Kleber Mendonça Filho's The Secret Agent and Pedro Pinho's Laughter And The Knife– will play across the Official Competitions. Brazil is also the Country of Honor at the Cannes Marché.
Below, Menezes speaks with us about the process of rebuilding Brazil's film industry, how she plans to sustain investment in local productions, the tricky business of regulating streamers, and what's next for Brazilian cinema.MARGARETH MENEZES: Brazilian audiovisual production is the strength of our cultural production and has profoundly impacted the international cinema environment. The strengthening of broadcasting networks in Brazil, where the award-winning Rede Globo was born, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, has undeniably helped the market grow. The fact that we are now winning an award at the level of the Oscars for the first time serves to consecrate us, to draw more attention, and to pave the way for other films, producers, artists, and authors to be considered with a closer look by the circuit and by audiences outside Brazil.
We have many interesting stories in Brazil. We have social and human experiences of all sizes and for all tastes here. We are a population of more than 212 million. We need to continue investing in the sector to make it viable for artists to produce their work in Brazil. I'll also add that we're thrilled with the film Secret Agent, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho and starring Wagner Moura, which is the Brazilian representative in the race for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.MENEZES: It is important to remember that the Brazilian film agency ANCINE only survived attacks from the previous government thanks to the few employees who had the courage to fight back. When we arrived, we found a wasteland of investments, a true chaos that was not easy to fix. The announcement of a historic package of R$1.6 billion is earmarked for the production of Brazilian films and series to strengthen national audiovisual content in the domestic and global markets. It was a rescue operation for the sector, we could even call it an emergency. MENEZES: The audiovisual sector was sidelined by the previous government, as were other sectors and cultural policies. With the resumption of the Ministry, we had to restructure public policies to recognize the challenges faced by the sector. In 2023 and 2024, approximately R$4.8 billion in resources from the Audiovisual Sector Fund and incentive laws managed by the National Cinema Agency (ANCINE) were made available to the production sector.
We also revived the Screen Quota Law, guaranteeing space for Brazilian productions in cinemas. We will soon launch the free platform Tela Brasil, which will hold a 100% national catalog. That's scheduled for later this year. The audiovisual sector is part of this government's new Brazilian industry plan, which will completely change the pattern and structure of investments for producers.MENEZES: There are two bills that aim to regulate VoD services offered by streaming platforms. The Ministry of Culture is advocating a replacement text for both bills that includes key points for regulation, such as the protection of copyright and property rights of independent Brazilian productions; visibility and guaranteed market share for Brazilian productions; and the implementation of a VoD levy of at least 6% of the gross revenue of these companies, compatible with the rate applied in other exhibition windows and considering the size of the country in this market. In addition, the Ministry wants to establish a direct investment mechanism exclusively for pre-licensing, licensing and production of independent Brazilian works.
We understand how important it is to establish this streaming regulation if we want to strengthen the sector. We are seeking to mediate fairly, so it is important to listen to everyone, a sort of conciliation chamber, so that we can reach a unified position. The reason we need this regulation is to protect our industrial systems. First, there's the issue of workers rights. Second, we also have to protect out national sovereignty. It is important to defend our representation. Third, we must defend our production environment. Regulation will be good for those who produce, for those who finance, and for those who consume. We don't want to tax anything; we want what is fair.
DEADLINE: What are your hopes for the future of of Brazilian cinema?
MENEZES: The Ministry of Culture has been working on a series of initiatives for the audiovisual sector, including the delivery of the New Plan of Guidelines and Goals — a major ten-year document that will serve as a beacon for audiovisual policies over the next 10 years. I hope that Brazil continues to be seen as the country that produces the highest quality film productions and that many other works receive recognition both within and outside the country, because our cinema is powerful, diverse, and deserves all the attention.
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Ari Aster's ‘Eddington' Sharply Divides Cannes: Star Pedro Pascal Defends a Western About ‘Our Worst Fears' Amid Lockdown
Ari Aster's ‘Eddington' Sharply Divides Cannes: Star Pedro Pascal Defends a Western About ‘Our Worst Fears' Amid Lockdown

Yahoo

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  • Yahoo

Ari Aster's ‘Eddington' Sharply Divides Cannes: Star Pedro Pascal Defends a Western About ‘Our Worst Fears' Amid Lockdown

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Hamas Takes Aim at Rival ‘Outcast' Group Amid Gaza Infighting
Hamas Takes Aim at Rival ‘Outcast' Group Amid Gaza Infighting

Miami Herald

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  • Miami Herald

Hamas Takes Aim at Rival ‘Outcast' Group Amid Gaza Infighting

A senior Hamas official has slammed a rival Palestinian militia in Gaza, telling Newsweek the group has received direct support from Israel and has ties to the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) and criminal organizations. The opposition faction, known as the Popular Forces and led by Rafah native Yasser Abu Shabab, has entered the spotlight in recent weeks for its open calls to challenge Hamas' authority in Gaza some 20 months into its war with Israel. The Popular Forces' rise has been surrounded with controversy as current and former Israeli officials had claimed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was actively backing the group to undermine Hamas from within its territory—an allegation confirmed by the premier himself on Thursday. The Popular Forces have denied any connection, claiming they operated under the mandate of the West Bank-based Palestinian National Authority (PA). The group has previously been accused of looting humanitarian assistance throughout the conflict, while former Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has claimed that the Popular Forces had also fostered ties with ISIS. As Abu Shabab and his militia continue to fend off the allegations, Basem Naim, Hamas Political Bureau member and spokesperson, asserted that the group had little influence in Gaza, marking an apparent blow to Israel's efforts to challenge Hamas' rule in the territory. "For more than 20 months, Israel has failed to create a Palestinian alternative to the resistance to achieve its goals in Gaza, whether by creating chaos or administering the Gaza Strip," Naim told Newsweek. "Now, it is trying again, through a group of criminals and extremists, to create an alternative." "This group is ostracized among Palestinians," he added, "some of whom are agents, others drug dealers, thieves, or extremists linked to ISIS." 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Abu Shabab reiterated this denial during an interview published Sunday with IDF Radio, though he did not rule out the potential for coordination on humanitarian issues. He also rejected alleged ties with ISIS, saying such "rumors are intended to damage our reputation and create a situation of hostility between us and Israel and the Arab countries." Abu Shabab's open calls for civilians to seek protection from his group and oppose Hamas have made him and his organization a target for Gaza's most powerful faction. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Abu Shabab was arrested by Hamas for a time until managing to escape amid Israeli airstrikes. A number of Popular Forces personnel have also reportedly been killed and detained by Hamas, including in operations conducted in recent days. A Quds News Network report published Monday and shared with Newsweek by Naim stated that a Popular Forces member with the initials "A.N." and described as Abu Shabab's right-hand man had been arrested, accused of killing a police officer before the start of the war in Gaza and of colluding with Israel. A report by Palestinian outlet Al-Resalah described the detainee as a "takfiri"— a term used by critics to describe adherents of extremist interpretations of Salafi Islam, such as ISIS—who had previously traveled to Sinai, according to unnamed security sources. The report also identified another leading member of the Popular Forces as Ghassan al-Dahini, who was said to have pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2015 and to have participated in the March 2007 kidnapping of BBC News journalist Alan Johnston, who was released that July. 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They include Palestinian Islamic Jihad; the Popular Resistance Committees; the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine; the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine—General Command; the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades; and the Palestinian Mujahideen Movement. These factions have increasingly participated in joint operations against the IDF, and the coalition has thus far largely withstood wartime pressure. At the same time, following several instances of rare protests among Gaza residents calling for Hamas to end the war, pressure has also built on the group to produce results amid deadlocked negotiations being mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar. The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine recently urged Hamas "to intensify efforts, in cooperation with the Arab mediators, to reach an agreement to halt the aggression—even if only for 60 days." A spokesperson for the group later told Newsweek that the message "was an attempt by us to reach a 'partial step' that would guarantee a ceasefire, open the crossings, and meet the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people in Gaza because we observed that living conditions had worsened and that the specter of famine was beginning to loom large." Meanwhile, Netanyahu has also faced mounting pressure from the international community and domestic voices to reach a ceasefire. But with talks being hosted in Qatar dragging on without a breakthrough, Israel and the United States have yet to outline a clear plan for what Gaza's postwar governance would look like despite asserting that Hamas would have to be removed from power. Israeli Deputy Consul General in New York Tsach Saar has previously told Newsweek that neither Hamas nor Israel would be in control of Gaza in a postwar landscape. 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At least nine killed in shooting at high school in Austria
At least nine killed in shooting at high school in Austria

Miami Herald

timean hour ago

  • Miami Herald

At least nine killed in shooting at high school in Austria

June 10 (UPI) -- Several students and at least one adult were killed Tuesday in a shooting inside a high school in Graz in southeastern Austria, authorities said. The actual casualty toll was unclear as Graz Mayor Elke Kahr told local media that 10 people were dead, while the interior ministry said nine people had been killed in the attack at the Dreierschützengasse school, which took place at about 10 a.m. local time. One report put the number of children killed at 7. The city's police confirmed the shooting suspect was also dead, probably by his own hand, and that a number of people had been seriously injured. They said there was no further danger to the public and that the site was secure. Austrian media said 30 people were receiving hospital treatment. Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker said a "national tragedy" had befallen Austria, and that no words could express people's grief and pain across the country. "These were young people who had their whole lives ahead of them," said Stocker. He was on his way to Graz and expected to arrive at the scene Tuesday afternoon. In Vienna, Flags were lowered to half-mast outside the Federal Chancellery building. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed shock at the shooting and said she was thinking of the victims and their families and friends. "Schools are symbols of youth, hope, and the future. It is difficult to bear when schools become places of death and violence," she posted in German on X. Speaking to Austrian public TV, Kahr called it a "terrible tragedy" and asked residents to come out in support and solidarity with the students. She said authorities would hold a press conference at 3 p.m. local time. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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