It is a «small role», but about a «very charismatic character», the one that João de Brito plays in the film «Salgueiro Maia – o Implicado», which premiered a few days ago in Portuguese cinemas. The actor from Faro embodies Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho, who was one of the captains of Abril, later commander of COPCON, later candidate for President of the Republic and, he did, involved in the bombing activities of the FP25.
«My role is small, there are only two interactions between Othello and Salgueiro Maia. In one of the scenes, we talk about Spínola and the assault on RALIS, at COPCON's headquarters", explains João de Brito, in an interview with Sul Informação. Even with a small role, the actor stresses the importance of the film directed by Sérgio Graciano, which «finally does justice to Salgueiro Maia. He was a career soldier, but in Africa he realized that this war was not for him, nor for his generation. And he did everything to change the course of his life and of his country».
João de Brito was born almost 20 years after the Revolution of the 25th of April, so he built the character of Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho from the «stories I heard, even in my family, of young people who were going into the unknown, in Africa, fight against the enemies that were created by the regime at the time. These enemies were just people fighting for their freedom and their countries. It was a generation of Portuguese raised in the midst of this hatred, which is largely responsible for the structural racism that we still experience today in Portugal».
The actor, born in Faro in 1983, he even met Othello personally. It was in 2016, during the filming of “A Voz e os Ears do MFA”, a documentary by António Pedro Vasconcelos, about Furriel Carlos Cedoura, which played an important role in the preparation of the Captains' Movement. «Othello used to walk around, telling stories that I heard».
To embody Otelo, João de Brito had to adopt some of the gestures and ways of speaking of the COPCON commander. «For example the “pa”, which he used to say a lot. It also appears in my lines in the film, but it has a more subtle presence», less caricature.
The actor also had to cut his hair short and turn it gray. «Othello was gray since he was very young, it was one of his distinguishing traits. But he had a lot more hair than me», points out João, between laughs.
Regarding the character of the characters, his and Tomás Alves, João de Brito recalls that, «in one of the scenes, Othello says to Salgueiro Maia: “now we are all heroes”. But Salgueiro replies that he is not a politician. And in fact it wasn't, that wasn't what moved him. Othello, on the other hand, was quite different, he was an eccentric character, he was involved in many controversies ».
João de Brito confesses that he has not yet seen the film «Salgueiro Maia – o Implicado», because at the premiere he was working in the Azores, but he guarantees that he will do so one of these days. Even so, he insists on underlining some aspects with a «symbolic character» of this film, such as the fact that director Sérgio Graciano chose «the granddaughter of Salgueiro Maia, who never knew her grandfather, to play the role of the woman who greets him when he enters Largo do Carmo».
«This is a key film for the celebrations of the 25th of April, now that we have lived for more years in Democracy than we have lived in Dictatorship», he underlines, adding a note: «the courage that Sérgio Graciano had to take this story and, finally, to do justice to Salgueiro Maia, as a complete person».
As an actor, João de Brito highlights «the importance of Democracy, of being able to have this freedom of creation», which did not exist before the 25th of April 1974. «Cinema is one of the fundamental arts, but before there was that thing of the arts be for the elites. It's wonderful that I, from a simple family, can get into a movie like this!"
The actor from Faro had already crossed paths with director Sérgio Graciano in series for RTP, such as «Conta-me como foi» or «Liberdade 26». In fact, despite being born in Faro and having completed his secondary education there, João de Brito headed to Lisbon, where he studied theater at the age of 19.
And in the capital, he recalls, «I have always worked with many theater companies, I have done a lot of television, advertising. But I always kept one foot here and one foot there. However, the need to be in the Algarve is increasing, the LAMA has more and more shows here, although it also takes them to Lisbon. In May, we will have the premiere of a show at the Centro Cultural de Belém, which, for an Algarve company, is a source of pride».
«I have a willingness to have this life, between Lisbon and the Algarve. I even have a project to be marinated, called “my house is the A2” », she says, half serious, half joking.
Among the many projects, João de Brito confesses his affection for his participation in the film about Salgueiro Maia. "Although it's not a big role, it's really nice to be there."
Anyone who wants to, can take advantage of the April 25 holiday to go to the cinema to see the film directed by Sérgio Graciano, with a screenplay by João Lacerda de Matos, based on a biography signed by António de Sousa Duarte about the captain of Abril.
In a modern, intimate and emotional approach, the film «Salgueiro Maia – O Implicado», starring Tomás Alves, portrays the stories that have not yet been told about the “captain of April”, with small revelations that allow us to better understand where the moderation, courage, politeness and firmness with which he always presented himself publicly, also revealing the other side of the man, student, soldier, father, friend and soldier of April.
As usual, after going through movie theaters across the country, «Salgueiro Maia – O Implicado» will also be shown on RTP, as a series. If not before, at least then, the Algarve will be able to see the performance of the actor from Faro, João de Brito, playing Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho.
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