Kananga do Japão
[1] It features Cristiane Torloni, Raul Gazolla, Tônia Carrero, Giuseppe Oristanio, Elaine Cristina, Carlos Alberto, Júlia Lemmertz and Rosamaria Murtinho in the lead roles.
[2] Adolpho Bloch, president of Rede Manchete, suggested producing a drama that would portray the Grêmio Recreativo Familiar Kananga do Japão, a famous cabaret from the 1930s.
[5][6][7] As part of the story, the cast had to learn ballroom dancing, samba de gafieira, maxixe and foxtrot, as well as capoeira, snooker, etiquette and notions of Judaism.
Manchete's method of attracting audiences was to narrate parts of the Getúlio Vargas and Washington Luís governments and Olga Benário's imprisonment within the story.
[14][15][6] The set design was entrusted to director Rodrigo Cid, who created stores, fountains, streetcar lines, schools and the Grêmio Recreativo Familiar Kananga do Japão.
The plot involves a love triangle - a fascinating heroine impoverished by the crash of 1929, the son of a wealthy industrialist and an attractive bohemian adventurer - the residents of a boarding house in Rio's famous Praça XI and the visitors to a cabaret.
"[21][9][22][2] In 1930, Dora is a fine girl whose family lost everything after the Great Depression and had to move to Rio de Janeiro with her mother Zulmira and sisters Madalena and Alzira to live in the pension of her uncles Joséphine and Epílogo.
She starts working at the Grêmio Recreativo Familiar Kananga do Japão, where she falls in love with Alex, but decides to marry Danilo, a millionaire who could save her family.
The opening vignette was produced by Adolpho Rosenthal and divided into four themes: port, war, dance and countryside, based on Cândido Portinari's work, O Lavrador de Café.
The soundtrack also features artists such as Elis Regina, for "Aquarela do Brasil", Evandro Mesquita, for "Gago apaixonado" and the progressive rock band Sagrado Coração da Terra, for "Passional".
[42][43] Veja magazine commented shortly after the premiere: "At this early stage, it was clear that the directors intended to use cinematographic style shots, escaping the routine of cameras very close to the characters whenever there is dialogue [...] Rede Globo evidently perceives the telenovela as a major competitor and considers it possible for Manchete to repeat the success of Dona Beija, from 1986".
"[45][46] Braulio Tavares, from Jornal do Brasil, said: "the high-quality production, the impeccable visuals, the historical and social background, the skillful handling of lights and cameras, the fluid choreography, the convincing costumes and sets [are all there]".
However, journalist Fernando de Morais criticized the dance, saying that "the ballet montage is an insult; Olga Benário, who was Jewish but didn't attach any importance to it, would shout cheers to Israel.
"[48] The APCA trophy, an award organized by the São Paulo Association of Art Critics, nominated Kananga do Japão in six categories for the television section, which won all of them.
