The First Fallen

The First Soldiers
Directed by	Rodrigo de Oliveira
Screenplay by	Rodrigo de Oliveira
Produced by	Rodrigo de Oliveira Vitor Graize
Starring	Johnny Massaro Renata Carvalho Victor Camilo Clara Choveaux Alex Bonin Daniel Monjardim Higor Campagnaro
Cinematography	Lucas Barbi
Edited by	Rodrigo de Oliveira
Music by	Giovani Cidreira
Color process	color
Production company	Pique-Bandeira Filmes
Distributed by	Olhar Distribuidora
Release date	July 7, 2022 (2022-07-07)
Running time	107
Land	Brasilien
Sprache	Portuguese

The First Fallen (in Portuguese: Os Primeiros Soldados, lit. "The First Soldiers") is a 2022 Brazilian drama film directed and written by Rodrigo de Oliveira. Starring Johnny Massaro, Renata Carvalho and Victor Camilo, the film portrays members of the LGBTQ community fighting the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s. It also features the performances of Clara Choveaux, Alex Bonin, Higor Campagnaro and Daniel Monjardim.

Plot

Set in Vitória, Espírito Santo, in the early 1980s, the film is a tribute to the individuals who faced AIDS and the stigma that accompanied it in its early days. The plot follows the journey of Suzano (Johnny Massaro), a biology student who has just returned from studying abroad. Aware that something unknown is affecting his body, he seeks to understand the disease and find a cure, while at the same time protecting his sister Maura (Clara Choveaux) and his nephew Muriel (Alex Bonin) from the impacts of what is to come. The lack of information about the virus and its uncertain future leads Suzano to approach transgender performer Rose (Renata Carvalho) and film student Humberto (Victor Camilo), both living with the virus.

Cast

• Johnny Massaro as Suzano Morais
• Renata Carvalho as Rose
• Victor Camilo as Humberto
• Clara Choveaux as Maura Morais
• Alex Bonin as Muriel Morais
• Higor Campagnaro as Joca
• Daniel Monjardim as Ramon
• Vinícius Duarte as Juan
• Jackson Leão as Luiz
• Matheus Muniz as Vicente
• Carlos Rosado as Dr. Caesar
• Verônica Gomes as Nurse Norma
• Remi Stengel as Adrian (voice)

Production

The film is set in Vitória (pictured), the capital of Espírito Santo state.

The First Fallen was produced by Pique-Bandeira Filmes, and its original screenplay was developed from extensive research into real cases that occurred in Vitória, Espírito Santo. In addition to reading newspapers from the time, the research included interviews with healthcare professionals, family members, and members of the LGBTQ community. When researching the film, Rodrigo Oliveira noticed that deaths in Espírito Santo began to be counted only in 1985, despite "newspaper headlines, groups of friends, and the silence of nightclubs" indicating the first deaths from HIV/AIDS and related illnesses prior to this 1985. The premise of The First Fallen was to imagine who the first infected people would be, those who were not even registered in the statistics. Thus, the work brings to life Rose, Suzano, and Humberto, united by the physical and emotional adversity of the then-mysterious disease.

In an interview, the film's director stated that the research was essential to responsibly invent the story of those first living with HIV/AIDS. In addition to creating the characterization of each character, the research also allowed the setting of the plot, with the reconstruction of the scenarios frequented by LGBTQ communities at a time when prejudice was more prevalent than the present day. Although the theme addressed is quite delicate, involving death at various points in the plot, director Rodrigo Oliveira believes that the film is not about an end, but about new beginnings and ways to survive and live with the virus, just like over 900 thousand people in Brazil do today. "At that time [in which the film is set], death was very likely, but that does not erase the taste, the pleasure, the pain, and the delight of having lived, even without knowing what was happening to oneself," the filmmaker said. He sees the work as a tribute to a possible life, to the dreams that remained in its protagonists until the end, and that can be passed on to relatives and friends.

Development

The director highlighted the work of an LGBTQ cast that worked in community, following the spirit of the film. He stated that he would always have queer actors playing queer roles, and that the cast was specifically chosen to connect with the community represented in the film. Johnny Massaro, Clara Choveaux, and newcomer Alex Bonini, who previously worked picking coffee on his family's farm in Governador Lindenberg, lived together as a family in an apartment in Rio de Janeiro. Rodrigo Oliveira explained in an interview that the intention was to create authentic relationships and a real sense of belonging among the actors so that everything seemed as natural as possible when filming began. Johnny Massaro, Vitor Camilo, and Renata Carvalho lived together on a farm in Domingos Martins to prepare for their roles in Os Primeiros Soldados. "Johnny went to live on the farm where his character isolates himself, and there he received Renata and Vitor, who play Rose and Humberto, exactly as in the film, before the team arrived. Johnny lost weight, Renata lost weight, and Vitor learned to operate the camera, all with the aim of connecting intimately with these characters. This dedication is present in every frame of the film," Rodrigo praised in an interview.

The production faced a major challenge in trying to recreate the city of Vitória in the early 1980s, as the available budget was far from ideal for a period film. The director emphasizes that more than simply reproducing the city, it was necessary to identify which locations still maintained the appearance of 1983. Vitória presents this particularity, where a historic building over 100 years old can coexist with a recently inaugurated development on the same street. The search for these spaces was a very enjoyable experience. Since these places were little explored in the audiovisual of the time, it was possible to recreate them with poetic license and affective memory. Thus, the fictional gay club Genet, which in the film is located on the Maria Ortiz staircase, in the Historic Center, was recreated within the premises of Hotel Cidade Alta, which has over 100 years of existence. According to the director, funding for The First Fallen was made possible through the call from the State Department of Culture (Secult), in collaboration with the Fundo Setorial do Audiovisual (FSA).

Release

Premiere and Reception

Os Primeiros Soldados premiered internationally at the 70th Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival (IFFMH), in Germany, on November 12, 2021. It was awarded the Best Film statuettes by the Young Jury and Best Film by the Audience Award. In addition, the feature film had its Asian premiere at the 52nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), in Goa, where actress Renata Carvalho, who plays the character Rose, received the Special Jury Prize. The film had its national premiere at the Rio Film Festival, between December 9 and December 19, with in-person sessions. On July 7, 2022, the film premiered commercially in cinemas throughout Brazil by Olhar Distribuição. The film premiered in theaters in São Paulo, Salvador, Curitiba, Rio de Janeiro, and Belo Horizonte. However, inEspírito Santo, the state where the story takes place, the film was shown at Cine Metrópolis, located on the campus of the Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES) in Vitória.

Reception

Critical response

The film received positive reviews since its release at international and national film festivals, receiving awards for best film. The performance of Renata Carvalho was also praised and awarded. In its screening at the 52nd International Film Festival of India, the official jury acclaimed Renata's performance and awarded her a special trophy. The jury justified that "Renata Carvalho's contribution to the film goes beyond the performance. She brought authenticity to the complexities of the situation and the era portrayed in society."

In Michel Guwilen's review on the Plano Critico website, it is mentioned that there are films that immediately impact the viewer with their images, while others function as a retroactive exercise, affecting the viewer's sensations afterwards. According to the review, The First Fallen belongs to the second group, presenting an extreme transformation movement from the middle of the film, demanding that the viewer rethink everything that was seen previously. The film's images are described as perpetuating their existence beyond the material plane, acting on a memorial ground. Michel Guwilen also highlights that the film's lacunar state, which is filled in later, is one of its main characteristics.

Lucas Lopes Aflitos, a critic from the Cine Set website, praised the cast of The First Fallen. Highlights include Johnny Massaro, who delivered an excellent interpretation of the melancholic, catatonic, and withdrawn character. Renata Carvalho also deserves praise as one of the best actresses working in national cinema, with a monologue that still echoes. The stellar cast also includes Vitor Camilo, Clara Choveaux (in a superb performance), and Alex Bonini. Additionally, the film is important and necessary, bringing to light the issue of HIV/AIDS and its stigmatization, noting that even today, the disease is seen as a "gay disease" by some, when in fact those considered heterosexual are the ones most infected.

Bruno Ghetti, a critic for the Folha de S.Paulo, stated in his review that the film starts without much unity, with characters appearing and disappearing without control by the director. In particular, he criticized a scene where Suzano reappears distributing photos of his own sick body at a party, which seemed too sensationalist for the character. However, Ghetti also praised the second half of the film, which he considered extraordinarily solid. He was especially moved by the scenes on the farm, where the protagonists film themselves on VHS to immortalize their story, and considered the film moving as a whole.

Awards and nominations

Year	Associations	Kategorie	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2021	Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival	Best Film (Young Jury)	The First Soldiers	Won
		Best Film (Audience Award)		Won
	International Film Festival of India	Special Jury Prize	Renata Carvalho	Won
	Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival	Acting Jury Prize		Won
2022	Mostra de Cinema de Tiradentes	Best Film (Olhos Livres Showcase)	The First Soldiers	Won

External links

• The First Fallen at IMDb