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Black Orpheus

(Marcel Camus, 1959, Brazil)

Introduced by Isis Barra Costa

Info & Tickets

A young Black man wearing Roman garb sits in front of twirling dancers.

Jul 13, 2024 7:00 PM

Film/Video Theater

$8 members and adults 55 and over
$10 general public
$5 students

ACCESSIBILITY
We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. If you have questions about accessibility or require an accommodation such as CART captioning or ASL interpretation to participate in this event, please email accessibility@wexarts.org or call (614) 688-3890. Requests made by two weeks in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the Wexner Center for the Arts will make every effort to meet requests made after this date.

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An intoxicating film with an undeniable rhythm, Black Orpheus brought Rio—and its music—to the world.

French director Marcel Camus revives the ancient Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice against the lush pageantry and madcap genius of Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival. With its eye-popping color photography, extravagant costumes, and beautiful stars, Black Orpheus was an international cultural event in the 1950s. Its soundtrack by Brazilian composer Antônio Carlos Jobim—one of the most iconic of the 20th century—kicked off the era's global bossa nova craze. Black Orpheus is one of only five films to win both the Palme d’Or at Cannes and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In Portuguese with English subtitles. (107 mins., DCP)

Isis Barra Costa, assistant professor of Spanish and Portuguese at Ohio State, will provide a short introduction the film to place it in greater context.

See the entire Musicals! Summer World Tour lineup.

IMAGE CAPTION
Black Orpheus, courtesy of Janus Films.

"A pulsing parade of abundant humanity…suspended somewhere between reality and myth."

Keith Phillips, A.V. Club

About the speaker

Isis Barra Costa was born in Belo Horizonte and raised in São Paulo, Brazil. She received an MA in English literature and a PhD in comparative literature from New York University. She has coauthored anthologies with Eduardo Muslip (Argentina), Denis Renó (Portugal), and Emanuelle Oliveira-Monte (United States). Barra Costa’s main area of research is Afro-Brazilian oral literature, performance, and philosophy. She serves on committees in several professional associations, including the Brazilian Studies Association, the Brazilian section of the Latin American Studies Association, and the Afro Digital Museum (UERJ in Rio de Janeiro).

Tag(s)

Film/Video

COPROMOTIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Getaway Brewing
Seventh Son
Antiques on High

FILM/VIDEO PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
National Endowment for the Arts
Ohio Humanities

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Rohauer Collection Foundation

WEXNER CENTER PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
Ohio Department of Development 
Greater Columbus Arts Council 
The Wexner Family
Institute of Museum and Library Services 
Ohio Arts Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts
CampusParc
Ohio State’s Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme
The Columbus Foundation
Axium Packaging
Nationwide Foundation
Vorys, Sater, Seymour, and Pease

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Mike and Paige Crane
Nancy Kramer
Ohio State Energy Partners
Ohio History Fund/Ohio History Connection
Larry and Donna James
David Crane and Elizabeth Dang
Bruce and Joy Soll
Melissa Gilliam and William Grobman
Rebecca Perry Damsen and Ben Towle
Jones Day
Alex and Renée Shumate