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Once Upon a Time Was I, Veronica Era uma vez eu, Verônica

Marcelo Gomes / Brazil / 2012 / 109 min

An authentic portrayal of present-day Brazilian urban existence through the eyes of a young woman coming to terms with her adulthood, and the director’s tribute to his hometown, Recife.

Aged twenty-six, Veronica lives in Recife, a metropolis considered one of Brazil’s most dangerous cities. Although she has recently graduated in medicine, she still hasn’t moved out of her father’s flat. Her life revolves around her countless love affairs and brief romances. When father feels that his life is coming to an end, he has one dying wish: that Veronica might find the love of her life before he departs this life.

»The film takes place in contemporary Recife, a big metropolis on the north-eastern coast of Brazil where I was born and raised. I have plenty of my own memories of Recife – vivid details, affections, smells, and images. Recife is Veronica’s habitat. I wanted to depict my city, I wanted to show how it has changed – its walls peeling and its colours fading away. I wanted to paint a portrait of my city through Veronica’s intimate existence.«
- Marcelo Gomes

Marcelo Gomes
Born in 1963 in Recife, Brazil, Gomes studied film at the University of Bristol and went on to make several award-winning shorts. His first film, Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures, premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes. Since then his works have recurrently entered major international film festivals.

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