“Life is not cupcakes, but it is rich as hell,” says Denise Fraga, who presents the new film

Ana Catarina, the protagonist of the delicate Remaining booksprepare yourself for a radical life change. She will leave the small community where she lives, her loved ones and her family to live in Portugal, without a return date. But before leaving, she wishes to return the books she received, with special dedications, to those who gave her gifts – and it is this journey between past and present that animates the film whose protagonist is Denise Fragawhich hits theaters this Thursday the 11th.

The idea for the story came to the screenwriter and director Marcia Paraíso then a dream, very linked to his own relationship with his books. Owner of a “considerable library”, she had great difficulty parting with her books, particularly the signed ones, which she defines as “people books”.

“They mark a period that we lived and mark the relationship that we had with this person, at that moment; and often we do not find this relationship, because time has passed, we have transformed and the person too,” says the filmmaker in conversation with the Stadium. “As we get older, the preciousness of these dedications of these people in books becomes even stronger.”

Denise Fraga was enchanted by the premise and, in her own words, “juggled” to appear in the film, as she also has a close relationship with literature. “I think that all of us who read are what we read (…) The books that I read are extremely important in my life,” she says.

One of them, which she carries, “all ruined”, in her bag is Manifest dreamby Sidarta Ribeiro. “It’s a Bible for our times. Everyone should read it,” says the actress, also a fan of Valter Hugo Mãe, Clarice Lispector, Machado de Assis and the Dutch historian Rutger Bregman. “He has an optimistic view of humanity, which is essential in our times.”

“Life begins at any moment”

Denise thought it was wonderful how Ana Catarina takes “an inventory of herself” throughout Remaining books. “She will understand who she is so that she can now pursue everything she can be,” he defines.

The character is part of a shy but growing list of 50-plus protagonists who reflect new perspectives on aging and life in maturity. This year alone they were at the forefront of productions such as The last blue, awarded in Berlin, Dreaming of Lionswith Denise herself, and Sexthe directorial debut of Glória Pires and also hits theaters this week.

Denise Fraga sees this trend in cinema as a change that moves closer to a reality in which aging is no longer considered the end of possibilities and novelty. “Women are more protagonists of their lives. People re-edit themselves, reinvent themselves – I love that word. (…) Above all, the film talks about this possibility of understanding that your life begins at any moment, and that today could be the first day of the rest of your life.”

Or, in other words: “Whoever would take care of their grandchildren today will go to the club with their children,” explains the actress.

For Marcia, this representation in cinema also implies the need to offer options to audiences over 50, often ignored by the market. The filmmaker says that while visiting the street cinemas in the interior of Santa Catarina, she noticed that most of the titles were niche. “Talking to people, you see that there is an empty space; for example, women who have stopped going to the cinema because they don’t want to see horror films or animated children’s films. They have moved away from cinema.”

She continues: “We have to occupy the space by offering a product aimed at an older audience. It’s about respecting and understanding the immense potential that theaters are losing and not looking at this cinema-consuming public.”

“Life is not cakes, but it is rich as hell”

In a career, maturity also brings new paths, believes Denise. “Today I have a conscience. These wrinkles must serve a purpose,” he jokes, laughing. “Life isn’t a cakewalk for anyone, but it’s still rich as hell. The alternatives are immense.”

The actor Augusto Madeiraaged 55, who Remaining books brings to life Ana Catarina’s ex-husband who is currently on the air in the soap opera Three Gracessays he feels a greater “urgency” in the choice of his projects. “I don’t have much time anymore to do everything I want,” he notes.

In agreement with her colleague, Denise says that today, she even agrees to earn less money, to prioritize the projects that really interest her. “I learned with maturity that you have to lose to win, that you have to learn not to be a slave to ‘win, win, win,’ so that you can take control of your life. Because often, in response to demands, you go to places that give you a less interesting life. There is so much wealth in this life that is not monetary, that is not monetized.”

“You always have to have a little money there to be able to say no and say yes, to make choices,” he concludes.

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