Exclusive: Brazilian director José Eduardo Belmonte and actor Rodrigo Lombardi are back together again. M Soas Mouse (In your hands). Set in New York, the independent film revolves around two Brazilian immigrants living in New York who are determined to seek revenge after a family member is murdered and the perpetrator goes unpunished.
Belmonte and Lombardi previously worked together on the award-winning Brazilian drama carcereros (Jailers). Globo won the Grand Jury Prize at the MIPDrama event in Cannes in 2017.
Belmont revealed the backstory to his new project. “In 2018, we were experiencing an explosion of hate and division, which concerned me a lot,” he told Deadline.
“During the pandemic, I reached out to screenwriter and assistant professor at Columbia University, Fabio Andrade, and together we developed a story about revenge. Fabio brought a lot of his experience as a Brazilian to New York.”
M Soas MaoMost of the film will be filmed in English, with some scenes in Portuguese or Spanish. “The film is about revenge in a divided world where trust in institutions has been lost,” Belmont said. “It also deals with immigration and relations between the Americas, and yes, it talks about family.”
Belmonte's Filmes do Impossível and Marcelo Maia's Republica Pureza Filmes are the banners behind the film with H2O Films as co-producer.
Lombardi played a correctional officer in the popular Brazilian series Jailerswhich was inspired by Dráuzio Varela's novel of the same name. He has also been a referee in the Brazilian version of The Masked Singer.
“Rodrigo was the actor I worked with the most on set,” Belmonte said of his time as director during two seasons of work. Jailers Over a period of approximately three years.
“We got to know each other well and created a creative partnership. After the series ended, we thought a lot about working together again, but in a more intimate setting. Now, there is also the challenge of acting in a language that is not his.
Photography on M Soas MaoIt is set for later this year.
