Part of Fist and Sword (2011)
Sunday, April 17, 2011, 3:00 p.m.

Introduced by C. Daniel Dawson

Dir. João Daniel Tikhomiroff. 2009, 94 mins.

Digital projection. In Portuguese with English subtitles. Based on the life of a legendary capoeirista from Bahia, Besouro tells the fantastic yet true story of a young Afro-Brazilian man who became a symbol throughout all of Bahia for his bravery and loyalty. His defense of the persecuted and oppressed by the police and plantation owners made him a legend. An action movie set in 1920s Bahia, it tells the story of a legendary capoeira fighter who uses the power of Candomble to fight the harsh conditions which, even post-abolition, the black population endured in Brazil. With action director Huan-Chiu Ku (Kill Bill, Matrix) the film features spectacular stunt sequences, and the soundtrack features Gilberto Gil, Naná Vasconcelos, Rica Amabis, Tejo, and Naçao Zumbi’s Pupillo. C. Daniel Dawson is the co-author of Capoeira: A Martial Art and a Cultural Tradition.

Free with Museum admission.

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