Düsseldorf-based boutique sales agent Patra Spanou Film has announced its acquisition of international sales rights for Brazilian filmmaker Janaína Marques’ highly anticipated debut feature, “I Built a Rocket Imagining Your Arrival” (Fiz Um Foguete Imaginando Que Você Vinha). This significant pickup positions the film for a strong global launch, underscoring its potential as a compelling new voice in international cinema, particularly as it prepares for its world premiere at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival.
The film’s selection for the Berlinale’s Forum section is a testament to its distinctive artistic vision. The Forum is renowned as a vital incubator for experimental, politically engaged, and formally adventurous independent cinema, often serving as a critical launchpad for emerging auteurs and first-time feature directors. Its inclusion in this esteemed program signals that “I Built a Rocket Imagining Your Arrival” is poised to challenge cinematic conventions and offer a fresh perspective on human experience.
For Patra Spanou Film, this acquisition aligns perfectly with its established “festival-first playbook.” The company has carved out a niche in the independent film landscape by meticulously collaborating with producers to strategically position their films for impactful festival market launches. Their expertise lies in identifying and championing distinctive indie features and documentaries that possess both artistic merit and international appeal, guiding them through the complex ecosystem of global film festivals and sales. The decision to board Marques’ debut speaks volumes about the film’s perceived quality and market potential, particularly given Patra Spanou’s discerning taste for unique, auteur-driven projects.
At its heart, “I Built a Rocket Imagining Your Arrival” is an intimate and emotionally resonant exploration of memory, trauma, and the profound power of imagination. The narrative centers on Rosa, a woman in her fifties portrayed by the talented Verônica Cavalcanti. The catalyst for her journey is a seemingly innocuous instruction during an MRI scan: “think of a happy memory.” This simple prompt unexpectedly unlocks a deep-seated longing, propelling Rosa on an introspective quest to reconnect with her mother, Dalva, played by Luciana Souza.
Dalva’s absence from Rosa’s life is not merely a void but a defining trauma. Her mother was imprisoned after a pivotal, life-altering event: she killed a man who was on the verge of murdering a woman. This act of violence, born from a desperate attempt to protect another, cast a long shadow over Rosa’s formative years and continues to shape her adult identity. The film delves into how such a monumental event, filtered through the lens of a child’s understanding and a daughter’s enduring love, can profoundly impact an individual’s sense of self and connection to the world.
Director Janaína Marques masterfully structures the film as a memory-driven road movie, a narrative device that allows for a fluid, non-linear exploration of Rosa’s inner world. The film artfully cross-cuts between Rosa’s clinical present, marked by the sterile environment of the MRI and her immediate reality, and the vibrant, often fantastical imagined reunion she constructs with her mother. This interplay between the tangible and the imagined creates a rich tapestry of emotion and perception, inviting the audience to inhabit Rosa’s subjective experience.
The feature further enriches the growing canon of contemporary women-led auteur cinema. It delicately weaves in elements of magical realism, a stylistic choice deeply rooted in Latin American storytelling traditions, where the fantastical seamlessly intertwines with the everyday. This approach allows Marques to explore complex emotional landscapes with a poetic license, blurring the lines between what is real and what is felt. Alongside this, the film is imbued with a palpable queer emotional sensibility, which informs its themes of unconventional family bonds, identity, and the profound spectrum of love and longing. This sensibility promises a nuanced portrayal of relationships that transcends traditional boundaries, offering a fresh and inclusive perspective on human connection.
Janaína Marques herself offers profound insight into the film’s core philosophy. “Our very own bodies, as a means for survival, wind up embracing certain aspects of delirium,” she explained, articulating the film’s central premise that imagination is not merely an escape but a fundamental strategy for survival, especially in the face of overwhelming trauma or adversity. This idea is central to Rosa’s journey, as she constructs an inner world to process and heal from the pain of her past.
Marques emphasizes that the film is meticulously crafted from Rosa’s point of view, ensuring an deeply immersive and subjective experience for the viewer. This artistic choice extends to every facet of the production: locations within the film are not merely backdrops but dynamic extensions of Rosa’s emotional state, shifting and transforming in response to her inner turmoil and triumphs. Similarly, the sound design plays a crucial role, meticulously linking what Rosa has genuinely lived to the vivid, intricate world she imagines. This integrated approach ensures that the audience experiences the narrative through Rosa’s emotional and psychological landscape.
Conceived during the height of the devastating pandemic in Brazil, the film carries an added layer of resonance. Marques deliberately infused the project with an “insistence on joy and care” as a direct and vital response to a period marked by acute crisis, suffering, and uncertainty. This conscious choice transforms the film into more than just a personal narrative; it becomes a powerful artistic statement about the human spirit’s capacity for hope and resilience even in the darkest of times, mirroring the collective need for solace and connection during a global health emergency.
Creative Pedigree and Production Excellence
“I Built a Rocket Imagining Your Arrival” marks a significant milestone as Janaína Marques’ debut feature, following an already decorated and impactful short-form career. Her academic background is equally impressive, having honed her craft at two highly respected institutions: Cuba’s Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión (EICTV), renowned for its intensive, hands-on approach to filmmaking, and Spain’s Universidad Carlos III. These experiences provided her with a robust foundation in cinematic storytelling and a global perspective that clearly informs her unique directorial voice.
Marques first garnered international attention with her short film “Los Minutos, Las Horas,” which premiered at Cannes’ prestigious Cinéfondation section – a program dedicated to discovering and showcasing emerging talent from film schools worldwide. The short went on to win numerous accolades at esteemed festivals, including Clermont-Ferrand, San Sebastián, and Havana, firmly establishing Marques as a formidable new talent long before her feature debut. This track record underscores that “I Built a Rocket Imagining Your Arrival” is not merely a promising first film, but the culmination of years of dedicated artistic development and proven skill.
The film is produced by Maurício Macêdo at Moçambique Audiovisual, an independent production house based in Fortaleza, a vibrant cultural hub in Brazil’s northeastern region. This geographical origin often imbues Brazilian cinema with distinct regional flavors and narratives, contributing to the rich diversity of the country’s film output. Delírio Filmes also stands behind the production, further bolstering its creative and logistical foundation. Moçambique Audiovisual is also responsible for handling the domestic distribution of the film within Brazil, with strategic consultancy provided by Fistaile, ensuring a comprehensive release strategy for its home audience.
The project has benefited from a robust network of institutional and partner support, highlighting the collaborative effort required to bring such an ambitious independent film to fruition. Key supporters include Instituto Mirante de Arte e Cultura, an organization dedicated to fostering artistic expression; Projeto Paradiso, a high-profile philanthropic initiative that plays a crucial role in supporting and developing Brazilian audiovisual talent and projects; Show Me The Fund; and the invaluable backing of the Embassy of Brazil in Berlin, which provides crucial cultural and logistical support for Brazilian works premiering on the international stage. This broad base of support underscores the film’s artistic merit and its potential to represent Brazilian culture on a global platform.
