Shining a Light on Brazilian Sensation Sônia Braga

This is the first guest post ever on Spellbound! As part of the blogathon, I opened up my blog for friend Ana Roland. She is a classic film lover, a TCM fanatic, and a fellow member of the Lusosphere by way of Brazil.

“With an earthiness and a body language all her own.”

–Jeff Silverman, CHICAGO TRIBUNE

“She has a regal face, reflective of wisdom and strength of character.”

–Soren Andersen, Special to THE SEATTLE TIMES

From the moment Braga appears onscreen, full of sensuality and ebullient passion, she captivates with her confidence and self-possession. At 5’3″ she stands out with her glorious lion’s mane of hair that falls loose or is tied tightly on her head. Soulful eyes combined with her luminous Brazilian smile show warmth and an infectious easy joy for life, representative of the Brazilian spirit–que alegria! Her impact is of an unofficial ambassador of Brazil. She at one time was the best export since coffee. She is certainly the most well known Brazilian film star since Carmen Miranda.

She made a name for herself in her mid-twenties starring in the prime-time soap opera GABRIELA(1975), later made into a film as well. She became an international sex symbol thanks to her provocative performance in the 1976 film, DOÑA FLOR AND HER TWO HUSBANDS. Both works were based on novels by the revered Brazilian writer Jorge Amado. She went on to appear in critically acclaimed movies such as KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN (1985), MOON OVER PARADOR (1988), and AQUARIUS (2016). She has worked (and dated) with important directors from Brazilians Héctor Babenco and Bruno Barreto to Nicolas Roeg, Robert Redford, and Clint Eastwood.

Braga is self-trained. She feels life experiences and an innate sense of intuition inform her performances. There is a depth of character that builds a connection to the human soul. Her acting ability has been overshadowed by her smoldering sex appeal. She is famous for playing sexually free women. It is hard to believe but she didn’t believe in her own beauty until she was twenty-four years of age. Her screen idols are Anna Magnani, Giulietta Masina, and Sophia Loren.

Sônia Maria Campos Braga was born June 8, 1950, in Maringá, State of Paraná, Brazil. She is the fifth of seven children born to a part-black, part-Portuguese father and a part-white, part-Indian mother, and while that resulted in no social disadvantages, the death of her father certainly did. “In Brazil,” she says, “prejudice is not racial, it is economic.” She was eight when he died, and her mother was barely able to support the family. To this day it is a mystery as to what happened to her father. In the RODA VIVA interview she begs the journalists to investigate and find out how he died.

At fourteen years of age, she was invited to perform teletheater productions, and in 1968 she was part of the first Brazilian production of the rock musical HAIR. Her first big break was on the Brazilian version of SESAME STREET. Her mother supported the family as a seamstress and is now an award-winning costume designer known by the name Zezé Braga. She designed the costumes that Sônia Braga wears in KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN.

Opportunities came and she made the move from Brazil to Hollywood but she would like her fans to know that she never left Brazil. She has always maintained a home in Brazil.

She had a great relationship with her Puerto Rican co-star Raul Julia. He was bigger than life and so much FUN! He adopted her like a “big brother” and even tried to find her a husband. Braga still misses his friendship tremendously. She has said that Gloria Swanson was her inspiration for the character of Leni Lamaison in KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN.

Braga was nominated for three Golden Globes and an Emmy Award. Her television credits include SEX AND THE CITY, ALIAS, AMERICAN FAMILY, and THE COSBY SHOW.

The critically-acclaimed film AQUARIUS (2016) was written for her. It had been twenty years since she had been in a Brazilian film speaking her native tongue. She has always been outspoken on issues that are important to her and in many cases are showcased in her films.

The most prestigious film to come out of Brazil in a long time was snubbed by Brazil as a contender for Best Foreign Language Oscar nomination (even though her first director Bruno Barreto was on the judging committee). It is believed this was because the cast protested about the impeachment of the Brazilian President Dilma Roussef on the red carpet at that year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Her political philosophy is one of action. “I grew up in the 1960s, I’m a humanist. I love my country and I’m worried about the future generations. . .I already lived through a dictatorship and getting democracy back is very difficult. I don’t want to go through that again.”

She believes the power of films is to communicate and that includes in areas of politics. For Braga, the confluence of politics and art affected her deeply again while making BACURAU (2019), winner of the jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival. She had made the acquaintance of Marielle Franco, an outspoken gay, Afro-Brazilian councilwoman that had been executed while she was making the film. Braga’s character in the movie was also coping with a severe loss.

Below are links to wonderful interviews of Sônia Braga. Some are in Portuguese. I have included them because it demonstrates the delightful language and Braga’s charm.

This post is part of the Luso World Cinema Blogathon. To read other bloggers pieces for November 14, please click on the banner below!