“Propriedade” (Property) by Daniel Bandeira shows the social divide in Brazil and the apparent impossibility of an understanding between classes. In this interview, director Daniel Bandeira explains how his film also casts light on the colonial legacy in today’s employment relationships
Daniel Bandeira’s film Propriedade (Property) tells the story of Teresa, a woman from the Brazilian aristocracy. She wants to retreat to her family’s country estate to recover from a trauma. But shortly after her arrival, the workers occupy the house at gunpoint. After years of exploitation they are going to be set free – now they are afraid for their future and demand justice. While Teresa’s husband Roberto is taken hostage, she manages to reach the safety of her armoured car. But she can’t start the car, so she’s sitting in a trap.Daniel Bandeira, how did the project come about that gave rise to the film “Propriedade”?
To begin with, the film was meant to be purely an exercise in style. The plot was focused on the drama of Teresa and her attempts to survive an external threat without name or face. But with the whole discussion about political polarisation that characterised Brazil in the 2010s, I got the feeling that a unilateral structure of the story was no longer tenable. Within the development of the drama involving the workers that was unfolding outside the car where Teresa was sitting, I saw the potential of talking about the chaos experienced by the ordinary people. And I wanted to communicate the impossibility of understanding that has been fuelling the class war throughout Brazil’s history. Isolation is accelerating our collapse as a society.
In the film, the breakdown of dialogue at all levels is obvious. It’s not possible to talk anymore; so does action become necessary?
In reality we’re still talking – a lot. It’s true that discourse overlays dialogue to such an extent that each distorts our understanding of the other. And that’s exactly where the disharmony of our communication is rooted. The fact that people aren’t listening to each other feeds our recent social tensions. “Not being heard” is a switch regularly activated by the far right to incite their supporters – it's a tool to assist the rise to power. However for the poorer social classes, not being heard has been an ongoing situation for some time. Those people who feel unheard – what remains of their fundamental rights, such as food, accommodation, education, life? What would it take for such ancient injustices to finally cause rebellion? Propriedade is an experiment investigating this pivotal point.
“Propriedade” refers to the colonial situation in Brazil, which still has an impact today. The reappropriation of autonomy and dignity by the workers happens as the result of an armed revolution in the film. Why is this the only possible way in the story?
Because force almost by definition results from a lack of understanding. We proudly maintain this image of a hardworking and resilient population, and at the same time destabilise the lives of the working class in every respect. We disregard their preferences and their outrage. So all they have left is chaos. My focus is not so much the “armed rebellion”, which would require more complex organisation, it’s the chaos preceding this, the crack that will one day cause the dam to burst. This chaos interests me as a member of the public and as a storyteller, because it can develop into something. The chaos can expose people and impact absolutely everyone. At the same time it’s also the result of a very old historical construction of colonial society in which our “courtesy pact” always served to suppress a more honest interaction between classes. I’m no advocate of violence, but it also doesn’t surprise me if it breaks out from time to time.
“Propriedade“ (Property). Brasilien, 2022. Director: Daniel Bandeira. In scene: Maria José Sales und Malu Galli | Photo (detail): © Vilarejo Filmes
During the time of Jair Bolsonaro’s government (2018-2022) the polarisation became even greater, and the social divide grew wider. Is the film an answer to this social regression?They were very hard years, but they did confirm the validity of the film Propriedade. The film was made before the 2018 elections, but Bolsonaro’s government activities strengthened the hatred between classes, the contempt towards the lives of others, the criminalisation of parts of society. It's a poison that will continue to flow through the veins of Brazil over the next few years, and cinema is processing this historical moment using the resources available to them. But Propriedade gives shape to themes that are far older. To what extent is social injustice saturated? How great is the distance between people from completely different classes in Brazil? What does it take to unite a population of individuals with such diverse motives? These are questions that have been on my mind for many years, and which helped me find the final form of this film.
Why did you decide to show explicit violence on camera?
Violence penetrates ordinary life. That’s why cinema loves violence – and that’s precisely the reason many people love the cinema. And yet, shocking though the narrative violence in Propriedade may be: it’s there to highlight historical force. Portrayed as somewhat underhand, motivating the characters and being reflected in the personal experience of the viewers. The possibility of presenting violence as a Trojan horse is one of my favourite things about genre cinema.
Fear, unease and the ever-lurking violence are recurrent themes throughout the film – the camera work, the acting, the precise editing. How exactly did this film come about?
I enjoy collaborative cooking, and using spices that aren’t in the recipe. In the case of Propriedade, a team was formed that worked very well together both aesthetically and politically. We realised the importance of the message that needed to be conveyed without losing sight of the film’s entertaining character. We spent 25 days filming on the south coast of Pernambuco state. It was during the time before the first election in 2018, and the political tension in this period was on our minds the entire time – even during filming. I hope that somehow comes across in the movie too.
How well was the film received at the Berlinale?
Although the audience at this festival comes from very diverse backgrounds, I note that class conflicts are a global theme. Whether that’s from the perspective of historical guilt caused by slavery, or because of employment destabilisation or migration crises. Propriedade is essentially also the story of a chasm that opens between inside and outside, between rich and poor, owners and those who are owned. Every nation has its own struggles with this conflict. I hope Propriedade – which has now reached international proportions – is also able to contribute to these ideas at a local level.
February 2023