Home / Arts and Entertainment / ‘Ibicaba’: A Promised Paradise Built on Exploitation
‘Ibicaba’: A Promised Paradise Built on Exploitation
12 Oct
Summary
- Historical drama set in 1855 Brazil centers on a Swiss mother and enslaved woman.
- The film adapts a novel based on real events at a São Paulo farm.
- Production involves Swiss and Brazilian companies, filming in both countries.
Andrea Štaka's upcoming film, "Ibicaba: O Paraíso Prometido," is set to explore the harrowing truths of 1855 Brazil.
The historical drama, adapted from Eveline Hasler's novel, centers on a Swiss working-class mother who travels to Brazil in pursuit of a better life. Instead, she encounters a system of debt, surveillance, and exploitation within a society profoundly structured by slavery.
Her journey intertwines with that of Inocência, an enslaved Black woman endowed with healing knowledge and deep familiarity with the land. Inocência employs her own methods of resistance against the oppressive system.
Filming is scheduled for next year in Switzerland and Cordeirópolis, Brazil. The production is a collaboration between Brazil's MyMama Entertainment and Switzerland's Cinédokké Sagl. Historical research for the film is being conducted with a Black historian specializing in slavery.
MyMama Entertainment CEO Mayra Faour Auad emphasized the company's international focus and its capability to fundraise globally. She highlighted Brazil's appeal for international productions due to its diverse locations, skilled crews, and regional incentives, noting that projects like "Ibicaba" are drawn to telling stories rooted in Brazil, not just using it as a backdrop.
