Midnight (1998 film)

Midnight
Directed by	Walter Salles Daniela Thomas
Written by	Walter Salles Daniela Thomas João Emanuel Carneiro José de Carvalho
Starring	Fernanda Torres Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos
Cinematography	Walter Carvalho
Edited by	Felipe Lacerda Isabelle Rathery
Music by	Antônio Pinto Eduardo Bid Naná Vasconcelos
Production companies	Videofilmes La Sept Arte Haut et Court
Distributed by	Lumière Riofilme
Release dates	1998 (1998)(Locarno) October 29, 1999 (1999-10-29)(Brazil)
Running time	75 minutes
Countries	Brazil France
Language	Portuguese
Box office	R$347,917 [1]

Midnight (Portuguese : O Primeiro Dia) is a 1998 Brazilian-French drama film directed by Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas for the 2000, Seen By... series.

Plot

As the year 1999 draws to a close, the bustling streets of Rio de Janeiro become the backdrop where two lonely souls are destined to meet. ^[2]

On December 31st, destiny intertwines the lives of João (Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos), a fugitive ex-prisoner seeking revenge, and Maria (Fernanda Torres), a disheartened teacher of deaf children abandoned by boyfriend Pedro (Carlos Vereza). ^{[3] [4]}

As the new millennium approaches, their encounter, born out of despair, offers an unexpected chance for redemption and hope amid the chaos of the city. ^[4]

Part of a global cinematic project capturing ten perspectives on the end of the millennium, this story reflects Brazil’s unique vision of renewal and human connection at the dawn of a new era. ^[2]

Cast

• Fernanda Torres as Maria
• Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos as João
• Matheus Nachtergaele as Francisco
• Nelson Sargento as Vovô
• Tonico Pereira as Carcereiro
• Áulio Ribeiro
• Luciana Bezerra
• Antônio Gomes
• Nelson Dantas
• Carlos Vereza
• José Dumont

Production

Its production was ordered by the Franco-German TV network Arte that asked ten filmmakers of different countries about the turn of the century for the 2000, Seen By... project. ^[5] A co-production with France, ^[6] it was produced in three weeks with a low budget. ^[5]

Reception

It won the 2000 Ariel Award for Best Ibero-American Film, ^[7] and the 1st Grande Prêmio Cinema Brasil for Best Actor (Nachtergaele), Director and Screenplay. ^[8]

References

1. "Filmes Brasileiros Lançados - 1995 a 2012" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Ancine. p. 31. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 27, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
2. Midnight (1998) | MUBI . Retrieved 2025-10-06– via mubi.com.
3. Midnight (1998) . Retrieved 2025-10-06– via letterboxd.com.
4. "Midnight (1998) | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2025-10-06.
5. Barbosa, Rafhael (December 29, 2007). "Meu tempo é hoje". Gazeta de Alagoas (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
6. Boscov, Isabela (November 3, 1999). "Uma deprê total". Veja (in Portuguese). Editora Abril. Archived from the original on June 1, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
7. "Ariel > Ganadores y nominados > Walter Salles" (in Spanish). Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas. Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
8. "Depois do 'Oscar', governo muda regras do cinema". Folha de S. Paulo (in Portuguese). Grupo Folha. February 14, 2000. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved February 27, 2014.

External links

• Midnight at IMDb
• Midnight at the TCM Movie Database