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.
“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.
DEADLINE: There’s tremendous excitement around the Brazilian audiovisual industry right now following the success of ‘I’m Still Here’. How are you feeling about things?
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.
DEADLINE: The federal government has pledged to invest BRL 1.6 billion in the audiovisual sector. This is a record investment. Why was it necessary to make such a large investment?
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.
DEADLINE: Film funding took a huge hit under the previous government. When you arrived in your post, what else had to be done to revive the sector?
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.
DEADLINE: There is currently a lot of discussion about how the federal government may regulate VoD and streaming companies. Is this a priority for you? What regulations would you like to see in place?
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.
