Chronicles of On The Road Travel

The Hulk Invades Rio de Janeiro

Bob Nadkarni, owner of The Maze Inn had been awaiting the arrival of a special guest...a green guest: the Hulk! For a few weeks in November, the narrow alleys of the hillside shantytown community Tavares Bastos were invaded by Edward Norton, William Hurt and the rest of the cast and crew making the new version of the film The Incredible Hulk. Parts of the movie, which is to be released in the U.S. in June 2008, were filmed in the B&B, including a dramatic jump (by a stuntman for Norton) out of The Maze’s panoramic picture window. Members of the cast also stayed in Bob’s art-filled pousada.

Around 100 residents of the Tavares Bastos community were also part of the action, working as crew and extras, or renting out their terraces for filming. The producers have promised to contribute R$10,000 towards the construction of a health clinic in the neighborhood, and to donate computer to the local school.

Scenes of The Hulk were going to be filmed around the Arches of Lapa and the beaches in Ipanema and Copacabana too, so look out for the famous landmarks when you see the movie.

This article was posted by Lee Weingast, our editor in Rio de Janeiro

Francis Ford Coppola's Buenos Aires Script Scooped!

We wrote earlier this year about Tetro, the Francis Ford Coppola production which has been taking Buenos Aires' Palermo neighborhood to a new height of stardom. It seems that the film has fallen victim to Buenos Aires' crime scene. The Hollywood Reporter tells of a recent break in at the offices of Coppola's production company, which is housed in a big old house in Palermo. Computers, cameras and Coppola's personal computer (containing screenplay drafts for Tetro) were taken by the armed intruders. Thankfully, a representative says that the script was saved in other places, so we won't have to wait too much longer to see Matt Dillon in action as an Argentine artist of Italian descent.

Gastón Acurio Coming to San Francisco

I just read in our ever-informative San Francisco Chronicle that Gastón Acurio, famous Peruvian chef, will be opening his first US restaurant right here in San Francisco! According to the newspaper's Inside Scoop column, La Mar Cebichería Peruana will open in the newly renovated Pier 1 1/2 - just north of the Ferry Building (a must see for San Francisco Visitors - especially on market day).

For those who aren't familiar with the name Gastón Acurio, it sounds like its time to put it in your culinary repertoire. He is famous for, among others, Cevichería La Mar, in Lima, Peru, a modern cevicheria where you will find classic ceviches and seafood dishes plus a number of modern variations like sushi and Asian-flavoured dishes. It sounds like the San Francisco location will somewhat replicate the open air feel of the original restaurant. The rear of the restaurant will open onto a marina for water taxis and other small boats.

Fans of Peruvian Cuisine can travel to Peru and learn first hand the art of this culinary craze. Travelers should note that Lima, Cusco and most other parts of Peru are open for business despite the recent earthquake. Areas of the Southern Coast which were affected are doing their best to bring things back to order and those hotels that withstood the tremors (see our list here) could use the extra support during this time.

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Celebrate Latin America in September

We will be taking a few days off over the upcoming long weekend. If you are in the Bay Area, here are a couple of Latin American-themed events worth checking out as September approaches...

Favela Rising, the award winning documentary about one group that revolutionizes life in the slums of Brazil through hip hop music, will be playing at the Red Poppy Art House on September 1st. (8pm, show is free).

San Francisco's own Brazilian Independence Day Celebration will be taking place on September 9th in Golden Gate Park. Much like it's New York counterpart, this festival will feature live bands, tasty food, arts and crafts, and of course, dancing.

Lulacruza, a duo from Argentina and Columbia, will be making their debut on September 15th at the Red Poppy Art House. Their sound is described as South American instrumentation, found sound objects, and field recordings blended into a vibrant, electronically manipulated aural experience.

Tango No. 9, known for their modern tango nuevo, will be performing pieces from their new album, Radio Valencia, to be released in October. Click here to catch a sneak preview, or see them live on September 21st at the Red Poppy Art House.

For those who are interested in immersing themselves in the Latin American arts, consider one of the Mission Cultural Center's ongoing classes. You can choose from Capoeira, Salsa, Samba Jam, Latin Percussion and much more...

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Lindsay Lohan Hits the Tango Scene

According to a wildly reliable source, People Magazine, Lindsay Lohan is set to play a role in an upcoming movie about famous Tango legend Carlos Gardel. Dare To Love Me tells the story of the Latin American (his origins are up for debate, however he claimed he was Argentinean) icon and his romance with a prostitute. Carlos Gardel is undoubtedly the most symbolic figure of the tango, known as El Zorzal Criollo, the songbird of Buenos Aires. Although he was killed in an airplane crash in Columbia in 1935, his legend lives on in milongas (tango houses) across the globe.

This rumour comes on the heels of news that other famous Hollywood stars will be lifting the profile of Buenos Aires on the big screen. Francis Ford Coppola is reportedly in residence in Buenos Aires preparing for his next film, while Sandra Bullock is scheduled to play Marina Palmer in the movie version of her book Kiss and Tango: Diary of a Dancehall Seductress.

Click here to read the Kiss and Tango Guide to Buenos Aires or find out more about the history of the Tango.

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Free Foreign Cinema on Your Laptop

The other day I discovered Jaman, an online community pioneering 'social cinema'. The site claims to have curated and assembled one of the world's largest online libraries of feature films and documentaries. It is also a forum for movie buffs to watch and discuss films of the world.

What I love about it is that they've categorized the films by region, so you can select movies from Latin America, Europe, Asia, etc. It's great for those who prefer foreign films over hollywood and bollywood blockbusters. Another nice feature is that you don't need your own video player - Jaman has a nice, easy to use, proprietary system that you can download, providing a hi-def experience.

Last night I downloaded 'Bar El Chino' a wonderful Argentine movie following the making of a documentary about Buenos Aires' famous Tango Bar. Not only does it provide some great shots of the real Argentina, it also offers a great story depicting the Argentine passion and mind set during the 2001 financial crisis.

If you sign up now you can recieve 3 free downloads.

My Brazil / Meu Brasil

Tonight marks the opening of Cinesul 2007 - the Latin American Festival of Cinema and Video - in Rio de Janeiro. Although many of the screenings will only be in Portuguese, we wanted to point out that the opening night will feature the world premiere of My Brazil.

My Brazil is a documentary by Brazilian director Daniela Broitman. In Rio de Janeiro's favelas (slums), local community leaders put their lives on the line to fight for basic rights and services for their fellow citizens. The film seeks to answer the question: What compels these volunteers to face all kinds of discrimination, intense pressure from political parties and drug traffickers, with the sole purpose of improving their communities' quality of life? Daniela explores this topic through 4 years of research with more than 100 community leaders. The film follow the daily lives of three courageous leaders and their surprising journey to the Fifth World Social Forum -- the most important global meeting on social justice. It also features Brazil's president, Lula da Silva, Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez, and Frei Betto and Leonardo Boff - two of the major voices of social justice in Latin America.

Daniela Broitman is a native of São Paulo who has been a journalist for Brazil's leading newspapers and magazines. In 1997 she moved to the US to obtain her Masters in Journalism from UC Berkeley and went on to study digital video production at NYU. In October 2002, Daniela returned to Brazil to witness the presidential elections and began filming the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Based on this footage, she received a Ford Foundation fellowship to finish her first feature documentary, Voices From The Edge - The Favela Goes to the World Social Mundial. This film won an Excellence Award from the Brazilian Studies Association and was selected by several international film festivals.

Go to the My Brazil website to see a trailer of the movie. Check out our Calendar of Events for Rio de Janeiro to find details of the screenings and other events taking place in Rio. If you're in Rio, consider taking a tour of the favela's to get a first hand view of this aspect of Brazil's urban culture.

Spanish Harlem Orchestra at Toronto's Luminato

Toronto's Luminato, a festival of arts and creativity involving music, dance, theatre, film, literature and visual arts, launched this past weekend.  The much-awaited opening of the Royal Ontario Museum's Michael Lee-Chin crystal, an ultra-modern addition to the classical façade of Toronto's largest museum and brainchild of Daniel Libeskind, was allegedly attended by an estimated 40,000, for a somewhat deflating free concert and opening ceremonies.  The planners clearly hadn't expected such a large crowd, as people found themselves wandering back and forth behind the stands where a select few managed to score seats, trying to find a way in.

Better planned is the free concert series, Masters of World Music, at Harbourfront Centre.  A great selection of local and international artists are performing at the spacious and accessible open-air stage.  Don't miss Joe Vasconcellos from Chile at 8pm and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra at 9:30pm tonight.  Lila Downs with Mesoamerican sounds and K'naan of Somali Canadian origins for a taste of hip hop hit the stage tomorrow night.   

This article was posted by Veronica Montero

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Test Your Cultural Consciousness

Did you know that  Luis F. Leloir, the man who discovered sugar nucleotides and won a Nobel prize for it, was a citizen of this South American Country?

Did you know that George Bush regularly offends people from this South American country whenever he displays his signature 'A-OK' gesture (the thumbs up or the index finger-thumb circle)?

Did you know that this peak is the highest in the Western Hemisphere?

Did you know that Alfred Hitchcock's film, Notorious, starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman was primarily set in this Latin American coastal city?

For more fun cultural trivia, check out these great quizzes.

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The Road To San Diego

It's that time of year again... the San Francisco International Film Festival is back. In every international film festival Argentina is inevitably represented by a film about the beloved Diego Maradona - Argentina's iconic soccer player. To some he is a figure as important as Eva Peron, if not more. Last year the International Latino Film Festival featured Amando a Maradona (Loving Maradona) a film that humorously depicted the country's passion for its legendary footballer.

Last night I went to see the SFIFF's presentation of The Road to San Diego, a tongue in cheek story of one fan's devotion to 'el Diego'. Known for his offbeat themes, Argentine director Carlos Sorin tells the story of a naive young man named Tati, who is such a fan that he named his first son Diego Maradona, trained his parrots to cheer 'Maradona!', and  tattooed  a full sized #10 on his back (resembling a soccer jersey) in addition to a tattoo of Maradona's face on his arm.  Despite having no job and little money, Tati leaves his wife and three children at their home in a small jungle town of Argentina's Misiones province after hearing about his idol's heart attack and subsequent hospitalization.

On Tati's journey to Buenos Aires, he encounters fandom and well-wishers that are characteristic of the warm, welcoming inhabitants of Argentina. With him he carries his prized possession - a wooden statue he has carved to resemble the soccer hero - in hopes that he will support Maradona's health with this gift. In the end, the story gives an inside glimpse of Maradona's role as an icon in Latin America and reminds us that everything happens for a reason.

If you plan to travel to Buenos Aires, be sure to check out the Bombonera, home of Maradona's Boca Juniors Football team.

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