“It's Much More Than I Could Have Imagined,” said Valter Hugo Mãe During the Panel Discussion on the Adaptation of 'The Son of a Thousand Men' at Flip

Last Friday Netflix presented the panel discussion “The Son of a Thousand Men - From the Page to the Screen”, at Esquina piauí + Netflix, during the 23rd edition of the Festa Literária Internacional de Paraty (FLIP). Attended by Valter Hugo Mãe, Daniel Rezende, Rodrigo Santoro, and the head of Netflix Brazil, Higia Ikeda, the event brought together major literary and cinematic names to discuss the adaptation of one of the author's greatest successes: The Son of a Thousand Men, a novel addressing themes of acceptance, inclusion, and the concept of family and community.

Chaired by Alejandro Chacoff, literary editor of piauí magazine, the discussion gave the audience an overview of the adaptation process and how the nuances and complexities of the narrative were translated to the screen. Daniel Rezende, the film's director and screenwriter, shared some details of this process: “It was my first job as a screenwriter, and adapting such a beautiful and influential work as ‘The Son of a Thousand Men’ is a huge undertaking, but ever since I first read the book, it's had a profound effect on me. I knew right away that this would be my next project,” he recalled.

Deeply moved by the film, Valter Hugo Mãe commented on the decision to afford creative freedom to the production team and highlighted the excellent work of Daniel and the entire cast. “I really didn't imagine that the film would turn out to be so beautiful. Knowing that my work will reach a huge audience through audio-visual language is incredible! I'm even a little afraid that it will be one of the few films in history to surpass the book,” the author joked.

Rodrigo Santoro described the process of developing the character of Crisóstomo as a magical experience. “It's hard to define this character. It was different from anything I've ever done before. A complex role, with incredible beauty, which really moved me.” The director concluded: “Having Santoro in the movie, and alongside an incredible cast and crew who believed in the project from the outset, was the key to achieving something that moved everyone deeply.”

For Higia Ikeda, head of Netflix Brazil, it is a privilege to be able to present a production like this to viewers. “At Netflix, we are always looking for productions that will resonate with Brazilian audiences. It is a huge responsibility to adapt works that already have such devoted fans, and we are thrilled to bring Valter Hugo Mãe's remarkable story to the screen,” the executive declared.

Johnny Massaro and Rebeca Jamir, two of the film's lead actors, were also present at the event. The Son of a Thousand Men comes to Netflix later this year.

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