Direction's note
I think the importance of "O Mensageiro" lies in the timeliness of what it proposes. Although it is a period film, it discusses contemporary issues such as polarization and forgiveness. And it also shows that even in the midst of horror there are human beings who are sensitive.
No wonder Professor Vera wants to talk to her students about Hannah Arendt, the philosopher who lived through the horrors of Nazism, and who witnessed and wrote about the trial and conviction, in Tel Aviv, of the German Adolf Eichmmann, a member of the Nazi SS and one of the main organizers of the Holocaust. Arendt did not fail to agree with his condemnation, but also worked on the issue of the banality of evil, being questioned by part of the Jewish community, which did not agree with the complexity of the approach.
For the character Vera, Arendt was thinking of the German people, who were accomplice in Nazism, when she wrote: If we are not forgiven, we are not released from the consequences and the things we have done, our ability to act would be restricted, limited to a single act, from which it would be impossible to recover. This does not mean that there are no guilty parties and that they should be judged, which has not happened in Brazil.
But the film also discusses the impact of violence on those who was part of it, even in a supporting role. Is it possible for Armando to escape the wickedness he experienced as a human being?
Production’s note
At a time when politicians in Brazil are trying to rewrite history and deny the existence of the military dictatorship, a film that talks about these dark times is essential. At the same time, “The Messenger“ is a film that works on a very contemporary issue, which is polarization and the possibility of dialogue. That's why I believe that the film should have an impact that is not limited to Brazil, but is capable of reaching several countries.