Prime Video premieres Marília Mendonça documentary at Rio Film Festival
Prime Video has opened its Marília Mendonça documentary at the Rio Film Festival. "Marília Mendonça – Sentimento Louco", directed by Susanna Lira, had its world premiere at the Brazilian festival, Variety, ahead of its release on Prime Video on 16 October, Deadline.
A world premiere means the first public screening. Festivals often host them. Streamers then use the date to set press and release plans.
Mendonça died in a plane crash on 5 November 2021 that also killed four other people, Variety. The new film looks back at her life and work through material she left behind.
It was made under a licensing deal with Mendonça's family, an agreement that gave Amazon permission to use family-held material for the production, Variety. That deal opened up her personal archives, including diaries, notebooks and phone.
The collection is large. Amazon obtained access to more than 530,000 images, 50,000 videos and hundreds of written notes by Mendonça for the project, Variety. The production team sorted that material to build the documentary.
What makes this stand out is the source. For fans, this means much of the story arrives in her own words and pictures, from handwritten pages to phone clips.
Amazon is pairing the release with activity outside streaming. Its promotion includes a new exhibition at São Paulo's Museum of Image and Sound and exclusive musical content on Amazon Music, Variety. The museum show places costumes, photos and other items in a public space. The music strand keeps listening on Amazon's own platform.
A second screen story is also on the way. A fiction film titled "Marília" starring Marina Versos, Klara Castanho, Sophia Valverde, Marcelo Serrado and João Guilherme is set to premiere next year, Variety. A fiction film uses actors and a script. A documentary uses real footage and records.
"Sentimento Louco" will stream for Prime Video subscribers from 16 October. The Rio screening came first. The wider audience follows next.
