Director and screenwriter Carla Camurati will be forever remembered in Brazilian Cinema history for her classic CARLOTA JOAQUINA. A huge critical, and (more importantly) box office success in Brazil, this film brought Brazilians of all types back to movie theaters to enjoy their own cinema. Never mind that the film is actually a 100-minute history lesson about the birth of a new nation, Brazil. Never mind the absence of the country's big internationally-known stars. The general public recognized a hilarious, captivating "domestic" film when CARLOTA was released, and embraced it. The film's success has paved the way for a renaissance of made-in-Brazil cinema that is still evident today (not only in economic terms, but particularly at film festivals and at award time). The fact this film was never released in the English and Spanish-world defies any explanation. The film's narration is totally in English, and the Carlota character's dialogue entirely in crystal-clear (if somewhat Brazilian-accented) Spanish. The humor is universal, as are all the elements of the plot. Don't miss it. Since Brazil (like North America) uses NTSC video, the VHS tape released in 1997 is your best chance now to see CARLOTA JOAQUINA. A real must for any lover of Latin American or European film, in fact for all film lovers.