Carmen Miranda: Bananas Is My Business

This hybrid of documentary and essay introduces the life and career of Carmen Miranda, Hollywood’s symbol of Brazil and Latin America in the 1940s. Giving her voice to the narration, Helena Solberg establishes a personal tone as she expounds on her fascination for the singer. Her early memory of being prevented from attending Miranda’s funeral reveals the conservative forces that run through the entire biography: “People like my parents always thought that when poor people filled the streets, for whatever reason, it was better to stay at home.” As the film investigates the artifices involved in creating an idol and the political agendas intertwined with it, Solberg maintains her gentle gaze on the icon and never fails to pursue the traces of identity beneath the myth.