André Marouço: 

“Cinema is a form of art; we need to respect it as such”

André Marouço, one of the directors of O Filme dos Espíritos (The Spirits’ Film), talks to us about cinema and its importance in the dissemination of the Spiritist Teachings
 

	André Marouço is a journalist, filmmaker and radio broadcaster with more than 20 years’ experience in some of Brazil’s main television networks, such as Globo and SBT. He has a degree in Marketing and is a volunteer worker and speaker at the Spiritist Centre Nosso Lar Casas André Luiz. He is also the general-director  of  Spiritist  TV  network  Mundo
Maior and Mundo Maior Films. He gave this interview at a cinema and TV Spiritist event in the city of Araraquara, in São Paulo state:

What is the main lesson learnt from O Filme dos Espíritos (The Spirits’ Film)? 

The film was like attending a university course in cinema, as it was my first experience. I learned to make a better quality film and, more importantly, I have learned what NOT to do. Cinema is a form of art; we need to respect it as such. I have come to understand that our films will bring the Teachings to the screen, that we will use the plot to convey lessons and messages from Spiritism, but we cannot neglect the entertainment factor, the capacity of touching people’s emotions; after all, it is a form of art. I have also learned a great deal about script writing. 

What is coming up in the next few months? 

I am preparing a second film, entitled Causa e Efeito (Cause and Effect), which tells the story of Paul, a policeman who had a quiet, stable life until a drunken driver kills his wife and son. The plot brings on quite a few surprises. I am also working on the pre-production of my first documentary: (Nos Passos do Mestre (On the Steps of the Master), filmed in Israel, Egypt, Turkey and Brazil. The documentary will depict the essence of Christian teachings and the importance of certain historic events in the formation of Christianity. Some of them were even hidden by the Catholic Church. The documentary will also have some acting of important moments in the life of Christ from a Spiritist perspective. 

How has cinema helped mould people’s minds recently, with the current wave of Spiritist films? 

In my opinion, the work began a few years ago in Hollywood, with the Spiritual Benefactors working on the minds of scriptwriters, directors and producers. They did not realise immediately, but they were part of a big process, in the same way as XIX Century France was taken over by the turning table phenomena. In Brazil, which has the largest Spiritist population in the world, we are still in the early stages of development in Spiritist cinema. All the films produced so far were amazing from a Spiritist perspective, but failed to some extent as films. I understand the Spirits are training us so we are able to produce soon great films, both from a Spiritist and a cinematic point of view. 

Could you share with us a remarkable experience you had as director of the film. 

Everything is absolutely remarkable. We could all feel the presence of the Spiritual Benefectors, all the time. But in Cause and Effect what really impressed me was the fact that we did not lose a single day of work. There were no setbacks, or weather changes that got in the way of our work. I remember clearly a day when we were due to shoot outdoors and it was raining. The team was really concerned, but we told them not to worry. When we are ready, the rain will stop, we said. And that is what happened. Of course it does not cross my mind that the Spiritual Benefactors stopped the rain for us. But we are fully aware that the Benefactors directing our work have much more precise weather forecasting mechanisms. When we booked the day, time and location for the shootings, they helped us through intuition to make the bookings for when the weather would suit our purposes. 

How can you encourage Spiritists to be aware of the importance of using cinema as an important tool of dissemination of the Teachings?

That will happen naturally. As we have more and better Spiritist films, the public will understand that it is important not only to go to the theatres and watch the films, but also to engage as volunteers and help disseminate the Teachings.