One of the most important popular Brazilian singers and composers, Luis Melodia plays his first acting role in Almost Brothers. His character, Jorge, Jorginho’s father, a samba musician and composer in the 50’s, represents the best of what’s called “samba de morro”(shantytown samba): he is forced to sell his songs, but with no room for him to record them.

What’s your character like in “Almost Brothers”?

I play Jorge, a musician/samba player. For me this role was really a blessing as I interpret a man who, like me, has music as his life’s inspiration. Jorge does what I most like to do in life: compose, sing. For this reason, making the film was a great pleasure. I felt very free in this role. I am Jorge and I show the music to my buddy Miguel. I introduce him to the world of the samba in the 50s. Working with Lúcia Murat was also fantastic and helped me feel comfortable in my first acting role. I am having a lot of fun with this cinematic experience. I am very happy.

Talk a little about the film.

The film deals with an important moment in the history of the country. And I think that the point of view that the director emphasizes is fundamental. The suffocation that the repression imposed on the people, the authoritarianism, and all the horrors that happened at that time. I think that because it’s such a representative period it should be shown to all Brazilians. This also makes me feel extremely happy to have participated in “Almost Brothers”.

In what way do you think the film could help overcome socio-cultural stereotypes?

This question really intrigues me. It is an abuse when you insist in treating some human beings, people exactly like yourself, in a cruel and indifferent way. I think that the moment portrayed in the first part of the film, when the black guy had to enter through the back door, still has its repercussions today. It’s important for Brazilian cinema to show this, bring this to the screen, even if it’s through a movie drama.

I, for example, don’t have healthy memories about my childhood. I guess things change, but prejudice, in an institutional way, still persists. In this sense I think that the film serves a fundamental role in showing the distinct differences in trajectories and opportunities that two Brazilians from different racial and social backgrounds encounter.