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September 22 @ 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm CEST
About the film
After the death of her husband, 65-year-old Betânia leaves behind the life she has known and returns to the village where she was born. There, surrounded by family, friends and the community she once left behind, she finds herself navigating a world caught between tradition and change.
Set in the extraordinary landscape of the Lençóis Maranhenses, in northeastern Brazil, Betânia is a warm and vibrant portrait of a woman determined to maintain her independence, dignity and joy as life takes an unexpected turn.
Marcelo Botta’s debut feature combines intimate family drama with the rhythms, traditions and music of Maranhão. The result is a film that is at once tender, humorous and deeply rooted in the culture of the region.
A film shaped by its community
Much of Betânia was created with the communities where it was filmed. Most of the cast are first-time actors from the villages surrounding the Lençóis Maranhenses.
Lead actress Diana Mattos, who plays Betânia, had never had a speaking role in a film before. She was discovered through an Instagram photograph and initially thought the casting invitation was a prank.
The production also returned to the region across two different seasons, allowing the filmmakers to capture the striking transformation of the landscape as the dunes and lagoons change throughout the year.
Music plays an important role in the film, with more than 60 musical moments drawing on Maranhão’s rich cultural traditions from Bumba Meu Boi to the reggae sounds that have earned the state its nickname, “Brazil’s Jamaica.”
From Maranhão to Berlin and now Oslo
Betânia is Marcelo Botta’s debut feature and premiered in the Panorama section of the Berlin International Film Festival.
The Brasil-Norge FilmKlubb is proud to present Betânia as the opening film of our first screening in Oslo, bringing Brazilian cinema, culture and stories to Norwegian audiences.
More than a film screening
Our opening night is an evening in itself, not only a screening. Come early, settle into the foyer, and enjoy everything we have planned before the lights go down.
The evening includes:
- Live Brazilian music by Bruna Santana
- Brazilian snacks and wine available at the cinema bar
- Betânia (2024) on the big screen, in Klingenberg’s deep reclining seats
- Good company, and the chance to meet fellow lovers of film and Brazil
Screening information
Tuesday 22 September 2026
Doors / foyer: 17:30
Film starts: 18:00
Klingenberg Kino, Olav V’s gate 4, Oslo
Portuguese, with English subtitles
BNCC members: 150,00 NOK
Visitors: 195,00 NOK
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