THE AFRO-BRAZILIAN AFFAIR

SBT, Brazil's second-largest television station known notably for success with kids' telenovelas, some which have aired here in Kenya such as Carousel and Friends to the Rescue on Citizen TV, have decided to postpone any filming of telenovelas.

Their last telenovela, The Adventures of Poliana (As Aventuras de Poliana) whose filming was over in December 2019, was to return for a brand new season in January titled Poliana Moça and was scheduled to begin in 2021, a little while over the resumption of filming, but unfortunately, that shall not be so.

SBT is expected to release an official statement concerning the issue. The actors' contracts are not going to renewed and will expire on October 31st. This move was made mostly due to the fact that unlike Globo and Record that have managed to resume filming of their pending telenovelas, SBT's casts are made up of mainly children and some old actors, who are the greatest risk targets for the COVID-19 virus. As such, putting these two risk groups in harms' way is not good business for the broadcaster.

Netflix's Airplane Mode is a 50/50 time investment since the film isn't something getting particularly excited over but still, couldn't have come at a better time when Influencers and Social Media rage are a millennial priority. The film, premiered last night on the streaming service and I definitely had to see the latest addition to Netflix's foreign language (in this case, Portuguese) catalogue, and being a fan of actress Larissa Manoela was another motivation for me to watch it right away.





PLOT

Ana is your typical influencer. Pretty, stuck-up and shrieks excitedly at the likes, fast coming as they are. She has been contracted by True Fashion, headed by a mean and dominating Carola, who revels at things going her way and everyone working by the scripts she fabricates. Ana is dating Gil, yet another influencer, cute, but least favorite of online netizens. 


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Ana's parents, Inácio and Laura are constantly annoyed by her ignorance of the world beyond her cell phone and social media, and Ana seems to have an irritating penchant for crashing into other people's cars (8 times as shown at the beginning of the film). Her perfect internet life comes to a halt after she crashes into yet another car and this leads her to hospital. Though nothing serious has happened, the courts decide that she has to face the consequences of giving in to a social media addiction. First, she is banned from driving and using her cell phone and has no choice than to detox in a place with no social media coverage. Her grandfather's home!

Upon arriving in the countryside, the first person she meets is João, a cute country boy (André Frambach) while trying to get his younger sister, Julia, to give her her cell phone (she claims to find the location of her grandfather's house)

Then there is her grandfather, Germano, who at first, comes off as rusty, but the two end up getting along, while she helps him fix cars in his shop. He is even prompted to reveal the truth about why he and his son, Ana's father, have not spoken for a long time - because her grandmother chose to spend her last day's in the country, while Ana's father wanted his mother treated in the city - and Germano even admits to his grand-daughter that he may have made his wife choose what he wanted.





Ana also explores the side of her that had always wanted to be a fashion designer when her grand-father opens the door to her late grandmother's shrine, revealing the real source of Ana's fashion talents - her own grandmother!

Ana's experience in the countryside seems to have an effect on her view of the world as she embraces family more and explores more of what kind of fashion inspires her. Well, until she finds out that Gil, who broke up with her publicly on a Photogram live some time back (embarrassing!) and her friend Mara get together to be True Fashion's influencing couple, while she finds out that her parents faked the entire court order against her after her little accident just to get her away from social media.

And does she overcome it? 


PROS

Airplane Mode is very convincing in exhibiting how much social media has an effect on millennials and the importance it has been doned. The film also has the fun effect, in scenes such as Ana's bonding with her grandfather, Germano, and the nuggets of wisdom she gets to pick up from him.



The aspect of a social influencer's life being demanding and insane is revealed, with Ana even telling her grandfather that he judged her before ever listening to her and he admits that later on in the film, true to a typical influencer's life.

The film is about redemption. Ana's addiction to social media is eating away at her with toxicity. It depicts how this can be worrying for today's parents, forcing them to resort to crazy but impactful tactics to curb social media addiction.

It was important how the film spoke about plagiarism and lack of originality, when Carola stole Ana's design from her collection, Meridiana (a mash-up of Ana's grandmother's name and her own name) and how they were able to prove Carola stole the designs in a public launching of the collection.

CONS

I definitely had an issue with the aerial view of the countryside roads. At first, it was cute until the images became a bit too monotonous.

Then there is Ana and João falling in love. Quite possibly the most cliche move I have seen in the movie because this is always happening with the girl who goes to the countryside to "rehabilitate" but at least the script does not make us think about it too much.




As for acting, the cast members are doing their best despite a few scenes where the acting just seems a bit too forced and unnatural.

All in all, the film really depicts the trueness in exploring life beyond the familiar and Ana's story leaves the viewers wondering if real life really is far-fetched than it really seems. No one is really missing out on a lot if they don't watch Airplane Mode since it's not that big of a deal, but it is decent and I'd recommend it to someone who is passing time as they think of what to really sit down and binge-watch:


Watch the full trailer of Airplane Mode here:

                  

Dani Moreno is an artist who can be described in many ways, but because we needed to get the detailed description from the subject herself, I spoke to this amazingly talented actress of Brave Woman and Friends to the Rescue, and she is truly a personality made of more than meets the eye

Dani Moreno

TABA: Describe Dani Moreno

Friends to the Rescue actor, Duda Nagle, is joining the cast of the Globo telenovela, A Dona do Pedaço.




Duda has been taking some time away from the small screen because he has been taking time to master the art of fatherhood since the birth of his daughter Zoe, with Record TV host, Sabrina Sato, which by the way, is so adorable!

This will be very interesting to watch considering that he will be joining the novela in the role of a boxer ( whose name is Paixão ) a role that he has already done twice: once in Malhação: Pro Dia Nascer Feliz as well as in the FOX series Rio Heroes, where he played an MMA Champion.

According to columnist Patricia Kogut of the newspaper O Globo, Duda won the role to be Rock's rival ( Rock is played by Caio Castro ) in Walcyr Carrasco's novela. Nagle's first scene is scheduled to air on August 13.

Less than a week after the premiere of the musical stage show Meu Destino é ser star in Rio, Diego Montez, actor of Friends to the Rescue, received word of the death of his father, the presenter Wagner Montes. The actor has plunged himself heavily into work since then, most notably with his coming up debut at Globo in the upcoming telenovela Bom Sucesso.

Diego Montez (Photo by Gabriel Henrique)

Diego said of this trying time:

Work certainly helped me. It was always a great desire of my father that I had my professional autonomy. I've been looking for this a lot. The musical appeared at an important time, at a very complicated stage. The cast is small, filled with friends who help me well. I was very well protected, "he says, adding that his mother, Sonia Lima, is proud of his achievements. - She's overjoyed. and happy, cheering for me a lot.

Diego and his mother, Sonia Lima (Photo: Reproduction)

Diego and his later father, Wagner Montes (Photo: Reproduction)

Diego who will be acting for Globo for the first time ever is known for being in SBT and Record TV's dramaturgy having played in Friends to the Rescue and Rebel Rio respectively. His character in Bom Sucesso will be a marketing director of a company and his character forms part of the comic end of the telenovela which will star Grazi Massafera (Caribbean Flower, Hidden Truths) and Romulo Estrela.

The 26-year-old actor also has a YouTube channel and has worked with marketing at Aventura Entertainment, responsible for Meu Destino é ser star. He said:

The company's marketing manager saw my channel, liked it and called me to work there. I took care of social media. It has already served as an eye opener for the novela.

He will continue to be on stage this month, during the season in São Paulo. Then the piece will go on tour, but he still does not know if he can coincide with the shooting of the novela. For the musical, the actor went through an intense preparation:

I say you have to be an athlete to make music. The body has to be clinking and it is necessary to take care of one's mental health as well. The trials run for nine hours and happen six times a week. In this piece, specifically, there are many dance numbers.

Montez reveals that he was not always in good shape. Back in his teens, he weighed 112kg.

I've never been thin. Then, from 13 to 15, I started to lose weight. I did an orthomolecular treatment that led me to eliminate 26kg in six months. We only change when something happens internally. When I wanted to, I ran back.

The actor says that he is very attentive to any changes in his body now.

I have not had problems like that since. I keep my weight flexible for my acting career. I had to do a musical where I played a drag queen and I was 72kg but was able to lose the required 8kg to 64 kg for the role. I am careful not to get out of control these days with any latent preoccupation with my metabolism.

Friends to the Rescue actress, Larissa Manoela, who plays Manuela and Isabela, released a new jam, Desencosta, 2 days ago.

The pop single was written by Wallace Vianna, Breder, André Vieira and was released under the label which Larissa is signed to, Deckdisc

Click on the link below to listen
                   
                            

Episode 120

Otávio finds an unconscious Isabela (thinking it is Manuela) and picks her up. He takes her to the car and after taking some of the logs blocking the road away, he drives off quickly, telling her to hang on.

Rebecca begins to cry a lot when he brings "Manuela" (Isabela) home. Navarro and Vargas observe everything that is happening and tells Geraldo everything. Geraldo orders his henchmen to get the girl out of the Village anyway. Manuela's family ends up calling a doctor and he says the girl has suffered some trauma and needs plenty of rest.




Nina suggests doing a Thanksgiving service for Manuela's return and the news begins to spread among the villagers. Mateus calls the Vaz siblings and tells them what happened.Otávio  also tells Lurdinha about what happened. 

Regina tells Geraldo that as soon as things calm down she will go to the village. Frederico who is happy about the news of the return of "Mini Spring Flower" decides that he is feeling inspired enough to start a new collection and tells it to everyone, including Safira who suddenly gets very agitated upon hearing that Rebeca has found her daughter. 

Episode 121

Helena catches the attention of Pedro, who does not want to participate in the party of the return of Manuela by being jealous of Otávio, who found the girl.

Joaquim, Felipe and Julia get a ride to get out of the woods and return to the city. Everyone from the village goes to Rebeca's house to celebrate the return of Manuela, who is actually Isabela.

Navarro and Vargas observe everything in the Village. Geraldo and Regina talk about what happened after being warned by the henchmen.

Safira is annoyed at the news of Rebeca's daughter being back, believing that now there will be no obstacles for Otávio ​​to marry Rebecca. Fortunato comes to ON-Enterprise to see Safira.
He asks to come back home and Safira tells him that this will not happen and that she does not want to see his face anymore.

Rebeca asks Manuela (Isabela) if she is okay. The girl tells her not to get too close to her.

Téo, Doris, and Mateus  are surprised by Manuela's distraught and distant behavior, for when they were in the woods she was very communicative. Rebeca tells Otávio, Helena and Nina that Manuela is very blunt and Rebeca claims to be worried about her.

Alone, Isabela says she can not get involved with Rebeca, because she abandoned her and loves only Manuela.Otávio comes into her bedroom to talk to her and says that the visitors are gone, but that the entire family is worried about everything that happened to her in the past.

Isabela invents a story that she can not tell who the bandits were, because she was blindfolded all the time and does not want to talk about it.




Flávia and Pastor Augusto want Manuela to participate in the play. Regina decides that she will not do anything about getting Isabela back, because she believes Isabela will not do anything that will be foolish enough to jeopardize her inheritance.

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The Vaz siblings prepare to head out to look for Isabela, with Felipe not quite getting the meaning of "not being away from each other beyond a 12 metres radius" but at least he is very worried because he cannot imagine his goddess Isabela being lost for long. Thus, they start the search.

Episode 116

The children finally separate and it is decided that Manuela's friends shall go on their own back to the village, while Isabela playing Manuela will go with the Vaz siblings.

Sabrina decides to handcuff herself to Omar in an effort to prevent them from being kidnapped. Unfortunately, she forgot where she left the key, irritating Omar way more than he already is, but she decides to show him the cool things that the handcuffs can do, such as make an alert sound when danger strikes.

Safira arrives irritably at Regina's mansion and orders Priscila to go home with her.
Téo, Mateus and Dóris find a phone as soon as they leave the woods. The three friends make a call from the payphone to Clara.

When Clara picks up the phone, she cries upon hearing her daughter's voice. The couple decide to head out to get their children from where they are and even tell Fiorina and Giuseppe, who celebrate. Everyone, including Pedro, Helena and even Nico agree with going to get the children.

Joaquim is annoyed with the photos he saw of Manuela and André looking flirty with each other. Priscila and Safira argue about what she has put the former through by dragging her out of the Junqueira mansion in that manner.

Meire and Dinho are desperate when they realize that they are lost in the woods. Navarro and Vargas listen to Meire's distress calls. Fortunato tells Safira to leave from home after the episode she has put Priscila through.


The guards appear without clothes and Meire asks for help from them, who explain that thieves stole their clothes. Téo, Mateus and Dóris find their parents again while Meire and Dinho decide to finally leave the woods.

Episode 117

Manuela asks Ofélio to look for Tumtum before Regina kills the mouse.
A Werewolf appears in the woods and scares Isabela and the Vaz brothers, who are in a tent. Felipe throws the bag out of the tent to the werewolf.
Rebeca sings at the ice cream parlor to greet the children and welcome them back home safe and sound.

Otávio arrives at the village and is already in the ice cream parlor just as soon as she has finished singing and Pedro even makes fun of him, saying he has missed Rebeca's singing. Otávio teases Rebeca, telling her he would like her to sing to him and only for him, making Pedro even more jealous, much to Helena's annoyance and Flávia tells her that soon he will realize what he has been missing out on .

Ofélio leaves the door of the secret passage open. Regina discovers the passage where Isabela entered the mansion: She realizes that she has been deceived the entire time. The woman is enraged and quarrels with Manuela, who swears she did not know anything.


Otávio sleeps for the first time in Rebecca's house, but on the couch.
In an effort to feed themselves. the children decide to hunt their own food.
Rebecca gives Otávio a neck and back massage in the morning since he has pains from sleeping on the couch.

Priscila is sad that Fortunato forbade her mother from coming home.

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Episode 115

Mateus tells his friends that the snake that they have seen in the tent may be a poisonous and that it would be best if they moved on and left their current camping area.
At ON Enterprise, Frederico, armed with the Bible, decides to prove to Lurdinha that he has become a "man of the gospel" by reciting some lines from the Bible. But, he ends up altering some of the text which gets Lurdinha angry and she leaves in a huff.

Rebeca calls Otávio's cell phone and Safira happens to pick it up. Luckily, the former comes and picks his cell phone from Safira and asks Rebeca what the matter is. She tells him that she will stay in Dream Village for a while in order to help Clara out at the Dreams and Patchwork atelier.
As they continue on with their pursuit against the children. Meire and Dinho happen to come across the tents that the children have left behind as they are headed forward with their journey to the village. They think that they will find the Vaz children inside the tents and decide to jump in, only to find them empty.

Apparently, Navarro and Vargas also happen to find the very same tents and jump into them thinking that they will also find the children there but they are not there. They all see the snake and shout in fear, running away very fast.
André takes an opportunity to go and see Manuela at the Junqueira mansion. There, he also finds Priscila, who is apparently, still having the sleepover.

The travelling children arrive at Dream Park and see boats which they think will be ideal in getting to the village faster. It is decided that Felipe will distract the guards as they seize the opportunity to get away with the boats. At the same time, Meire and Dinho have encountered some bees and are running away from them very scared.
The children come to the shore after managing to escape with the boats and celebrate their victory.
During the community meeting at the village, Rebeca comforts Fiorina and Clara and assures them that the children will be back home safely.

When Safira comes home, she asks her father where Priscila is and he tells her that he let her sleep over at the house of Regina. Safira is angry at him for making a decision that only she should make and she is very angry and revolted because she knows that Regina is the sister of Geraldo.

Outside the Junqueira mansion, André tells Manuela how things are going with the move to the village. Priscila decides to follow them outside and when she sees them together, she decides to take a picture of the two in a compromising position and even sends it to Joaquim, to whom, it appears as if Manuela and his friend are star struck with each other. This puts Joaquim off but he keeps it to himself.

In an effort to put on believable disguises, Navarro and Vargas resort to stealing forest guards as they do not want anyone to recognize them.
At night, Isabela has a nightmare that as soon as they arrive at the village, Regina and Geraldo's henchmen arrive almost immediately to kidnap Téo, Mateus and Dóris. She freaks out and talks to Joaquim about it. He tells her that they will alter their original plans since she is hell bent on protecting Manuela's friends. They decide that it would be best if Manuela's friends and they, separated. The trio agrees and they all make a pact to meet up at the village later on.
Sabrina locks herself with Omar, who gets annoyed and asks her to let him go, but she happens to have forgotten where she left the key.

A very irritated Safira arrives at the Junqueira mansion and starts to berate Priscila and orders her to go, The girl does not want to go and Safira harshly drags her out of the house much to everyone's surprise.



Téo, Mateus and Dóris find a phone as soon as they leave the woods. The three friends make a call from the payphone to Clara.

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We got 5 new telenovelas this year in Africa from the wonderful land of Brazil and each one of them has been well written, paced well and entertaining to us...but was there that ONE which you fell for hook line and sinker?


Please vote for the telenovela that was your best all through 2018 whether over/ongoing and let us share our thoughts



Have a wonderful 2019 family!

Episode 113

The children get rid of Dinho after Julia hits him on the head with a pan. Téo talks to Isabela, thinking that it is Manuela and takes her hand. The girl is enchanted by Téo. 
Felipe appears and becomes jealous, so he sits between the two of them. Priscila is upset that Sapphira did not attend the band's debut show. Otávio and Rebeca are back at work. 
Rebeca asks about the papers signed by Otávio authorizing the reduction of the orders from the atelier and he swears that he had no idea. It is only after she leaves his office that he realizes this was all Safira's doing. 
The children leave for the expedition. Meire and Dinho decide to follow the children.
Meanwhile, Pedro and Helena meet up with Rebeca. They blame themselves for the disappearance of the children. 




The two blame themselves for the disappearance of the children. The Accomplices take a train to start the expedition. 

Episode 114

Priscilla calls her grandfather and asks permission to spend the night at Regina's house. Fortunato allows, because Priscila insists a lot. 
Meanwhile, the children get off the train and go to a store, but Felipe falls and messes up the establishment. They get kicked out. 
Isabela tries to speak like Manuela while. Meire and Dinho continue to follow them and watch everything from afar. 
Rebecca goes to the village to give support to Helena and Pedro. Otávio is jealous, but he understands the situation. Lurdinha tells Frederico that the two can not have a relationship because he is not a man of God. Frederico is thoughtful and decides he will be a "believer" to attract her. 
The children stop in the woods when they notice they are being followed. Meire and Dinho lose sight of them, but they keep trying to go after the children. 
The pastor tells the children of the village that the rehearsals for the play are suspended until Doris, Téo, and Mateus reappear. 
Navarro and Vargas discover clues about the whereabouts of the children and also enter the forest that leads to the Dream Village. 
It is dusk and the children put up tents. 



Mateus and Joaquim are able to make a bonfire. 
Priscila is enchanted by the clothes of Isabela and even calls Regina "mother".
Priscila cries, says that she is envious of her and that she has a mother who does not even care about her.
Frederico appears at the company dressed in a suit holding the Holy Bible which Lurdinha finds utterly strange.
Mateus tells a tale of terror and scares everyone. A snake appears inside the children's tent and everyone yells. 

Arthur tells Regina that they did not find Isabela and that the show should continue with or without the girl.

Priscila sings the song "SuperStar" on the debut show alone.

Ofélio listens to noise in the dressing room bathroom, opens the door and finds Manuela, who hurries to get to the stage, and the band is already onto the second song.

Manuela playing Isabela enters at the exact moment of her part in the romantic duet "Fugir Agora" with Joaquim.

Priscila gets irritated and returns to her place of second voice.

Behind the scenes, Arthur celebrates that Manuela playing Isabela managed to sing on the stage.

Ofélio tells Regina that Manuela was locked in the bathroom. In the show, the band sings the lively song "Oi, Psiu".

Frederico and Lurdinha enter after-hours hiding in the room of Safira to find some clue about the decrease in demand for the collection of the  Dreams and Patchwork atelier. The two are almost caught by Tomás. Frederico stands and kiss Lurdinha in the mouth but she gets angry and leaves.

Téo, Mateus and Doris are worried about Helena and Pedro. The Vaz siblings  and André arrive home and meet the children of the Village.

Isabela introduces them all. Helena and Pedro go to the police station after the missing children.

Fiorina goes into despair at the news of Téo's disappearance. Clara and Luíz are also afflicted when they hear of the disappearance of the children.

The children plan to leave together for the expedition so that Isabela playing Manuela goes to the village safely.  André informs them  that he will not go with them as Dinho enters the apartment.