The rise of Brazilian directors Anselmo Duarte and Glauber Rocha both came about through different career trajectories - Rocha working as a young film critic in Bahia and Duarte making his way up the Brazilian studio system as a star actor. Nevertheless, the two crossed paths amicably on the set of O Pagador de Promessas, Anselmo Duarte’s 1962 film that won the Palme d’Or. That encounter marks one of the major points of interest for filmmaker Michel Schettert in his new film essay, Golpe de Vista (A Quick Glance). Golpe de Vista examines the focal point in the history of Brazilian cinema that was the international success of O Pagador de Promessas, showcasing images of Duarte soaking up the success of his award at Cannes. But the film essay also looks at the larger cultural ramifications of O Pagador in the Brazilian film industry, as the aesthetic and ideological approach of the film eventually led to a larger clash with figures such as Rocha and the rest of the young Cinema Novo filmmakers.


