Vicente Amorim

The son of a diplomat, Vicente Amorim was born in 1966 in Wien (Austria), lived in England, the United States, the Netherlands, and in Brazil where he lived in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro. He studied Economics before choosing to follow his passion: film. At the age of 17, he began to work as an intern for Leon Hirszman on the film IMAGENS DO INCONSCIENTE. Then he worked as assistant camera, sound assistant, and in post-production. He was an assistant director on 23 feature films and directed five shorts and a half minute 3D animated short that received various international awards. The short was acquired by the Guggenheim Museum in New York. He has directed over 200 commercials and music videos. His feature-length debut was his documentary TOO MUCH BRAZIL (2000 NORDESTES), filmed while he was preparing and in preparation for THE MIDDLE OF THE WORLD, his first narrative feature film.

Director’s statement

"I have always thought about of making a film that was very Brazilian. […] One of my favorite genres is Western from John Ford to Sergio Leone, which focuses on stories that are only possible in a determined geographical context. When I discovered the story of Cícero (Romão in the film) and of his wife Rose, I thought that it would only be possible to tell that typically Brazilian plot with the Northeast as the starting point. I realized that in its essence there was a drama with the authenticity of a western, a story from the Northeast in its origin, but with conflicts and character development that are universal. And maybe what caught my attention the most was the fact that it was such a recurrent story – the migration from the Northeast to the South – that happened in such a different and extraordinary manner. I was touched by the fact that the characters in real life believed in the dream. Romão didn’t just want a job, but a salary of one thousand reais. He wanted a dignified existence, beyond mere survival. He didn’t go to Rio just for a job – he went after a dream of a decent life. A beautiful story to tell”.