This book is a discussion of the work of Brazilian filmmaker Amacio Mazzaropi (1927 - 1980), who acted in, produced, and directed 32 films. Although at first they hailed him as a Brazilian Chaplin, as soon as his films became very popular, cultural critics ignored Mazzaropi (in contrast with the treatment given to more experimental Cinema Novo filmmakers). This book starts with an analysis of the placement of Mazzaropi's work in the context of Brazilian film industry, and offers some possible explanations for its critical reception. The succeeding chapters discuss both how the films approach issues facing a country that was changing and becoming more urban, how ex-centric Brazilians ('caipiras') resolved their position in this new society, and how they fit in the politics and in the history of the country. The book will be important for anyone interested in popular culture, cultural studies, and Latin American culture in general.

Amácio Mazzaropi's work is a unique instance in Brazilian culture - as an artist not connected with the subsidized film industry, he developed a singular voice and represents a segment of the population usually either ignored or viewed with contempt by the established, experimental filmmakers.

This work provides an entertaining introduction to popular film in Brazil, situating major box-office successes such as Central Station, in their socio-historical context.

This book addresses a variety of regional humor traditions such as exploitation cinema, Brazilian chanchada, the Cantinflas heritage, the comedy of manners and light sexuality, iconic figures and characters, as well as a variety of humor registers evident in different Latin American films.

The innovative collection of essays by a distinguished group of scholars brought together in The Brazilian Road Movie - Journeys of (Self) Discovery represents the first book-length publication on Brazil's encounters with and reworkings of one of cinema's most enduringly popular genres.

DIVAnalyzes the experiences of a generation of Japanese-Brazilians in Sao Paulo during the most authoritarian period of military rule in order to ask questions about ethnicity, the nature of diasporic identity, and Brazilian culture. /div

This ground-breaking study provides an entertaining insight into popular film in Brazil, situating major box-office successes such as 'Central Station' (Walter Salles, 1998), in their socio-historical context.