Shooting Jean Charles

After falling prey to the British police, Jean Charles’ life falls into the hands of a Brazilian filmmaker

Paranoia and fear in London. A terrorist attack kills 52 people and plunges the British capital into a state of confusion and mistrust. Immediately, Scotland Yard coordinates an immense operation to catch those responsible. Amid tense investigations, the police kill an innocent bystander, a young immigrant from a small Brasilian village. On his way to work after stepping on the tube, the victim is mistaken for a terrorist and gunned down by the British police with seven shots to the head.

Unfortunately, whilst it may seem like the synopsis of a film, the above narrative actually took place. And now, almost two years after the shocking crime, London-based Brasilian director Henrique Goldman has decided to focus on this delicate issue and indeed transform it into a film. The invitation originally came from the BBC, who wanted Goldman to focus on the political conflicts involved and the failings of the British police force. Deciding to do things his own way, Goldman called off the collaboration and honed in on Jean’s life and the difficulties faced by immigrants in the UK. This change of direction interested Stephen Frears (The Queen), who went on to become the project’s executive producer. From his office at Westbourne Studios, the director spoke to JungleDrums in detail about his ambitious project.

How did you come up with the idea of making a film about Jean Charles?

When the whole episode of Jean Charles’ death took place, I was fascinated by the story and curious about who he really was. I thought to myself “Damn, this is crazy! A Brasilian died in the middle of all this”. I proposed making a documentary about it all, but because it had all taken place so recently there was no immediate interest for a more analytical overview. After a few months, I got an e-mail off Fernando Meirelles (director of the acclaimed City of God), passing on the details of a British production company.

So they got in touch - they wanted a Brasilian to give them a certain credibility – but the film was becoming more and more about the British perspective. What’s the most interesting part of the whole story? Jean Charles’ life or British politics?

For me, it’s Jean Charles, but obviously for them it was the whole political dimension. It’s as if they had said “Come and play some samba for us”, and then when I got there, they’d asked me to play the Britain Quartet.

But I don’t know how to play like that. I only play ghetto samba, do you get me? Whilst they may have had the best of intentions, my relationship with the production company just got more and more awkward, because I felt that I was being forced to do something that I didn’t want to. My only hope was that once we got going, I could subvert things a bit. But the BBC pulled the plug. They wanted to make an investigative film pointing out the guilty parties involved.

So they wanted to point the finger at Scotland Yard?

This is veering into territory that I don’t really know enough about to comment on. I believe in British democracy. I think that the BBC should have the autonomy to make a film criticizing the British police. I think that they wanted to stand up to them. But I don’t want to bog myself down over issues that I’m unsure about and can’t prove.

Do you think that the story would have been sacrificed if you’d made the film with the BBC?

I can’t say anything one way or another because I have no proof. I think I would have been a useful cover for them, but I have no way of gauging the political motivation behind their decisions.

When did the BBC throw in the towel?

It was in April last year. Since then we’ve been trying to think about how to carry on making the film, but from a Brasilian perspective. But they had already bought the rights from Jean’s cousins who were, coincidently, exactly who we wanted to base the film on. Finally, by going to court, I managed to buy the rights for the film together with Brasilian production company Mango Filmes.

I’m also working on a parallel project with Stephen Frears, director of The Queen, and that’s how he got involved in the film as executive producer.

Was he already involved in the project when you were in discussion with the BBC?

No. One of the things that made the project attractive for Stephen was this uncompromising posture, making a film spoken in Portuguese about the Brasilian community in London. It isn’t a British film. It’s a story told from the point of view of Jean and his cousins. It’s not a film about British political intrigue.

Will the film portray London as being receptive to foreigners?

The film will also look at the issue of immigrants who adapt or close themselves off. The main character is a girl, Jean’s cousin. She’s beautiful, wonderful, cheerful and timid. And it’s this girl who becomes a woman and makes London her home, who feels that she belongs here. That’s the beautiful thing about London. If you want, you can become a Londoner too. It’s a very open, tolerant city.

And how will you explore this?

The film starts off with Jean Charles arriving with his cousin. He’s a very clever, ambitious guy, who came over here and did very well for himself. He earned a lot, almost £30,000 per year, which is a huge amount anywhere in the world. Jean was a bit of a celeb amongst the small UK-based Brasilian community

Even though he was an illegal immigrant?

The question of Jean’s status over here is one of the most surprising aspects of the film. I think people will be surprised to discover who Jean really was. He was a funny, ambitious guy. I also went through a lot when I went to live in New York and I can identify with that.

Is this a faithful portrayal of Jean or will there be elements of fiction as well?

As we researched we discovered a lot about him. We interviewed lots of different people, family, friends, work colleagues, people from his home town, Gonzaga. He was a real person. He wasn’t a saint. Why would he be a saint? Just because he was a victim? This would dehumanize him. Jean was a clever young Brasilian who, despite some ups and downs, did very well for himself in London.

Have you chosen the cast yet?

We were in contact with Wagner Moura to see if he’d play Jean. The offer’s still open, but it looks as if he’s already tied up with another film in Brasil during the time we’d be shooting. We’ll soon be looking for other actors, unless we hold up filming to try and match our dates with his.

Will the whole film be shot here?

There’s one sequence that will have to be shot in Brasil. Approximately 80% of the film will be shot over here and 20% in Gonzaga. Another great aspect about the film is that the soundtrack will feature lots of Brasilian country and western music. Jean liked singers like Chitãozinho and Xororó, Tonico and Tinoco. He liked “old-time” music. Caetano Veloso will also participate, singing a country version of his hit London, London. It’s a song that’s become something of an anthem for Brasilians living over here.

As well as this work-in-process, you’re also working on other movies dealing with the theme of immigration, such as your feature-length film Princesa. What is it about this subject that fascinates you?

Brasil is a country that, historically, shut itself off to incoming immigration whilst providing a steady stream of immigrants itself. And this took place over the space of a generation. That’s what fascinates me. In one well-known Brasilian restaurant in the centre of London, for example, kibbeh, the national dish of Lebannon, Syria and Iraq, is sold as Brasilian food. We have this unique way of “Brasilianizing” things back home.
I believe that a running theme in my work is the perspective of the “outsider”. I’m also an immigrant, both inside and outside of Brasil, where I come from a Jewish family, and I also feel a bit of an outsider. I think it’s a common human condition, because everyone feels detached when it comes to questioning their relationship with the world.

By Aleksander Aguilar

Shooting Jean Charles

TAGS