A rosa azul de Novalis

The Blue Flower of Novalis
A film like an invitation to someone’s house. In his apartment in São Paulo, between making coffee and gay hook-ups, Marcelo’s fetishes and longings are revealed, casually and full of intensity. Marcelo’s closest confidants seem to be books, especially Novalis’ unfinished novel “Heinrich von Ofterdingen”, whose protagonist seeks an elusive blue flower. Marcelo is also looking for something, following the traces of his eventful past. The camera observes him and captures his stories with total concentration, until a simple panning shot initiates the reenactment of one chapter of his biography. Marcelo’s words only nominally seem to take centre stage, for his physical movements actually divulge more, they are performative reservoirs of memory. Marcelo’s flat thus becomes his life’s stage – shimmering, entertaining, amusing, serious and sincere. The documentary staging employed by directors Vinagre and Carneiro crafts an entire multi-layered universe from the self-contained cosmos of the flat. A rosa azul de Novalis is far more than just an open-hearted and intimate portrait, it’s a film like the petals of the blue flower, at once tender and beguiling.
by Gustavo Vinagre, Rodrigo Carneiro
with Marcelo Diorio
Brazil 2019 Portuguese 70’ Colour Documentary form

With

  • Marcelo Diorio

Crew

Director Gustavo Vinagre, Rodrigo Carneiro
Screenplay Gustavo Vinagre, Marcelo Diorio
Cinematography Bruno Risas
Editing Rodrigo Carneiro
Sound Design Ruben Valdes
Sound Ruben Valdes
Production Design Rodrigo Carneiro, Gustavo Vinagre
Costumes João Marcos de Almeida
Make-Up Alma Negrot
Producers Gustavo Vinagre, Rodrigo Carneiro

Produced by

Carneiro Verde Filmes

Gustavo Vinagre

Born in 1985 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He studied literature as well as screenwriting. Gustavo Vinagre screened A rosa azul de Novalis (2019) and Vil, má (2020) at the Berlinale Forum.

Filmography

2012 Filme para poeta cego (Film for Blind Poet); 27 min. 2013 La llamada (The Call); 19 min. · Nova Dubai; 50 min. 2014 Mãos que curam (Healing Hands); 19 min. 2015 Chutes (Kicks); 24 min. 2016 Os cuidados que se com o cuidado que os outros devem ter consigo mesmos (The Cares One Takes of the Care Others Must Take of Themselves); 21 min. 2017 Filme-catástrofe (Disaster Film); 18 min. · Cachorro (Bitch); 14 min. · Medo medo medo (Fear Fear Fear); 20 min. 2018 Lembro mais dos corvos (I Remember the Crows); 82 min. 2019 A rosa azul de Novalis (The Blue Flower of Novalis); 70 min. 2020 Vil, má (Divinely Evil); 86 min. 2021 Desaprender a dormir (Unlearning to sleep); 94 min. · Deus tem AIDS (God Has AIDS); 82 min. · Monumento ao Wi-Fi (Monument to Wi-Fi); 14 min. 2022 Três tigres tristes (Three Tidy Tigers Tied a Tie Tighter); 86 min.

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2022

Rodrigo Carneiro

Born in 1984. He studied History and Film Editing. A rosa azul de Novalis is his first feature-length film.

Filmography

2013 Marília; 22 min. · Microsieverts; 7 min. 2015 Copyleft; 30 min. 2019 A rosa azul de Novalis (The Blue Flower of Novalis)

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2019