Hebe

Maurício Farias's 2019 Brazilian film concentrates on one period in the life of Hebe Camargo, among the most recognised presenters in the country's television history. It does not begin with her childhood but settles at the moment, in her sixties, when she decided to take control of her own career. Facing her are not only audience expectations but her own husband, network executives and the role the industry assigned to women. The film shows how a woman who always appeared cheerful on screen produced that cheerfulness as labour, with the backstage negotiations, the ageism and the fight over the format of her programme at the centre. Andréa Beltrão's performance does not attempt imitation but rebuilds the character. It is a portrait followable even by viewers unfamiliar with Brazilian popular culture. Who it's for: viewers interested in biographical film and television history. Who it's not for: anyone expecting an account of her whole life; the film selects a narrow period.