1962 Porto Alegre Brazil

Abilio Afonso Baeta Neves

1949

Porto Alegre Brazil

Interviewed on February 3rd, 2025 

By Sophia Chin McManus

[Translated from Portuguese]

SM: What is the first movie you remember seeing?
AN: The first movie I remember was an Italian version of The Prisoner of the Iron Mask.

SM: Was this movie subtitled in Portuguese? Did you often watch movies in this way?
AN: The movie was dubbed in Portuguese. I watched only a few films projected outdoors. I started going to the cinemas near my house. Several cinemas opened nearby. I could walk there or take a bus.

SM: How old were you approximately?
AN:I must have been twelve or thirteen years old.

SM: What do you remember about the movie?
AN: I remember it was a black-and-white film with very dark cinematography.

SM: What did you think of the character(s), actor(s), story?
AN: The story of a prisoner who wore an iron mask to avoid being recognized scared me a little. This film had several later versions, including one with Leonardo DiCaprio. These newer versions always seemed less frightening to me. The actors were unknown, and the characters in the film represented a story of betrayal and adventure. Overall, the story was tense and captivating.

SM: Who was with you?
AN: I watched the film with my siblings, but it felt like I was alone because I was completely absorbed in the story.

SM: How did you get to the theater?
AN: Interestingly, the film was projected outdoors, on the white wall of a building belonging to the neighborhood residents’ association. Everyone brought their own chair or sat on the ground. It was a community experience and a way to bring cinema closer to the residents without them having to pay for the screening.

SM: That’s really interesting. Did you bring your own chair to the screening as well?
AN: Yes, My two brothers, my sister and I each brought our own chairs to watch. 

SM: In that case, was there a concession? Did you have a favorite candy?
AN: There was no concession stand. In fact, at that time, in cinemas, candy and sweets were sold by vendors (“baleiros”) who walked between the rows with trays, offering them to those who wanted to buy. Outdoors, we didn’t have that option, but there were popcorn carts on the street. When I did buy candy in movie theaters, my favorite was known as “bala azedinha” (sour candy). I’m not sure if it still exists today.

SM: Did there happen to be ushers to help with the screening?
AN: In outdoor screenings, ushers weren’t needed, but in the cinemas of that time, they were.

SM: What town and year was this?

AN: This happened in Porto Alegre, most likely in the year 1962 or 1963.

SM: Thank you so much for your time, this was great!

Relationship to the interviewee: Abilio is a work colleague of my paternal aunt’s