Spamflix to revive Lumière’s Brazilian “Cinema of Desire” trilogy
Cult film group Spamflix will launch Cinema of Desire at the Marché International du Film Classique (MIFC) in León, an ambitious restoration project in collaboration with Cinemateca Brasileira that reclaims a lost piece of Brazilian cinematic history.
The Lisbon-based platform presents the 4K restoration of “The Magic Eye of Love” (“O Olho Mágico do Amor,” 1982), the first in a trilogy by Icaro Martínez and José Antonio García, under MIFC’s Re>Birth program – a showcase for heritage titles seeking restoration and distribution partners.
“This is the first market in which we are showcasing the project, and it is very special,” said Julia Duarte, co-founder of Spamflix. diverse. “These films were part of a movement that was ahead of its time and emerged from the desire for freedom under the dictatorship in Brazil.”
Set in São Paulo’s squalid Boca do Lixo district, The Magic Eye of Love follows Vera, a secretary who discovers a hole in the wall of her office that leads to a nearby hotel room occupied by a prostitute – a portal that awakens her fantasies and changes her life.
The film, which won numerous awards, marked the beginning of the so-called “Desire Trilogy”, which was completed by “Onda Nuova” (1983) and “Naked Star” (“Estrella Nua” 1985), with plans to include a fourth film, “The Body” (1991), a solo work by García. All four were digitized by Cinematica Brasileira.
The Cinema of Desire project revisits the New São Paulo Cinema movement (Novo Paulista Cinema), a short-lived but influential wave of independent filmmaking that emerged in the early 1980s. The film grew out of “pornochanchada” films — a genre popular at the end of the dictatorship in Brazil that mixed erotica with comedy — but rejected their sexual morality, according to Duarte. “This was something more,” she said. She added: “They gave a voice to women. Although they are not well known, even within Brazil, these films played an important role in Brazilian cinema,” noting that her goal after this project is to continue highlighting the work of marginalized Brazilian directors.
These films were made as Brazil’s dictatorship was losing its grip and confronted repression indirectly, turning sensuality into an act of defiance. Duarte sees their work as Brazil’s answer to the early [Pedro] Almodovar combines the freedom, humor and emotional excess of Spain’s Movida Madrileña with the urban and political tensions of Brazil.
The movement itself was short-lived, as local exhibitors preferred imported titles and commercial pornography. After the dismantling of the state distribution company Embrafilme in 1990, national production almost collapsed, silencing a generation of filmmakers.
The project builds on the momentum of “Onda Nova,” a quirky, sexy comedy about female soccer players who challenge prejudice under the Brazilian dictatorship. The 4K restoration of the film premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in 2024 and has been shown at festivals across Europe and Latin America. It was released theatrically in Brazil in March of this year, and has just signed a US distribution deal with Brooklyn-based Muscle Distribution.
“Onda Nova is exactly the kind of movie Muscle loves: friendly and fun, but wickedly subversive and truly dangerous for its time,” said Muscle founder Elizabeth Burchill. diverse. “We are thrilled to be working with Spamflix to bring it to North American audiences for the first time ever.”
Duarte and her partner Marcos Daffner plan to premiere the Cinema of Desire films next year in Brazil, followed by screenings at festivals and cinemas to coincide with the 20th anniversary of José Antonio Garcia’s death and his 70th birthday.
For Spamflix, known as a former VOD platform with a strong focus on avant-garde and avant-garde cinema, Cinema of Desire represents an important step into the world of cinematic heritage and rights management.
“For us, it’s the same idea.” Duarte explained. “Through our work, we now also care about cinematic heritage, giving visibility to unique works that are worth seeing again.”
“The Magic Eye of Love” is one of nine films that will be presented as part of MIFC’s ReBirth program on October 19.
The MICC Festival takes place alongside the Lumiere Film Festival in Lyon, from October 14-October. 19.