The Given Word ( O Pagador de Promessas ) ( Keeper of Promises (Payer of Promises) )

The Given Word (DVD) (*)

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Original Title: O Pagador de Promessas
Alternate Title: Keeper of Promises (Payer of Promises)
Screened, competed or awarded at:
Cannes Film Festival
Cartagena Film Festival
Oscar Academy Awards
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Subtitles )
French ( Subtitles )
Portuguese ( Mono )

Product Origin/Format:
France ( PAL/Region 2 )

Running Time:
98 min

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Scene Access
Black & White

Movie filmed in 1962 and produced in:
Brazil ( Latin America, Mexico )

Directed By:
Anselmo Duarte

Written By:
Anselmo Duarte
Dias Gomes

Actors:
Leonardo Villar ..... Zé do Burro / Donkey Jack
Glória Menezes ..... Rosa
Dionísio Azevedo ..... Olavo, the priest
Geraldo Del Rey ..... Bonitao / 'Handsome'
Roberto Ferreira ..... Dede
Norma Bengell ..... Marly, the prostitute
Othon Bastos ..... Reporter
Antonio Pitanga ..... Coca, the capoeirista
Gilberto Marques ..... Galego
Milton Gaucho ..... Policeman
Enoch Torres ..... Inspector
Carlos Torres ..... Coca's friend
João Di Sordi ..... Detective
Veveldo Diniz ..... Church Clerk
Maria Conceição ..... Auntie

Synopsis:

Carrying a political and social punch, this drama about biases and misunderstanding by Brazilian director Anselmo Duarte starts with a simple premise. A peasant farmer makes a vow to carry a cross into the local church if his injured donkey is cured. Sure enough, the miracle happens, and the man gives away his land and sets out with a heavy wooden cross to walk the ten miles to his church. But once there, he is locked out - it is past closing time. While he and his wife wait for the church to open again, everything starts to go wrong. Before much time has gone by, the peasant's mission has turned into a media circus, misinterpreted by everyone, including the priest.

Zé is a very poor man from the Brazilian countryside. His most prized possession is his donkey. When his donkey falls terminally ill, Zé makes a promise to Saint Bárbara: If his donkey recovers, he will carry a cross - like Jesus - all the way from his city to Saint Bárbara's church in the state capital. Upon the recover of his donkey, Zé leaves on his journey. He makes it to the church, but the priest refuses to accept the cross once he came to know the context of Zé's promise.

A peasant farmer goes to heads with the village priest who refuses to let him make an offering to a patron saint for saving his donkey, because the cleric knows that the farmer has participated in voodoo ceremonies.

This product was added to our catalog on Tuesday 21 December, 2010.

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