Page 12 - aruba-today-20180512

A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 12 May 2018

Biopic of Brazil evangelical bishop breaks box office record

By SARAH DiLORENZO of the time of day or if it's a
Associated Press manipulation."
SAO PAULO (AP) — A bi- Controversy has long sur-
opic about the man who rounded Macedo, a color-
founded one of Brazil's larg- ful character who has won
est evangelical churches both adoration and notori-
has sold more tickets than ety for taking on two of Bra-
any other film in recent zil's most entrenched institu-
memory in the South Amer- tions: the Catholic church
ican country. But some and the Globo media em-
have accused the church pire. Brazil is the world's most
of cooking the books. populous Catholic country,
The film tells the story of but evangelicals are on the
Bishop Edir Macedo, who rise: They account for one in
founded the Universal five people — up from one
Church of the Kingdom of in 20 a few decades ago
God in the 1970s. Macedo — and evangelical law-
is a powerful and contro- makers make up a power-
versial figure in Brazil who ful voting bloc in Congress.
owns a media empire and Macedo's Universal church
has been dogged by ac- has been one of the motors
cusations of malfeasance of the group's growth.
— allegations that the film Macedo was raised a Cath-
portrays as a plot by the In this 1994 file photo, Bishop Edir Macedo, head of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, olic but the movie shows
Catholic Church and Brazil- leads a service in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. him searching for spiritual
ian establishment to limit his Associated Press meaning elsewhere. In the
power. film, his family experiments
A company that measures full, despite the blockbust- believe in. Brazilian film about gang vi- with traditional healers to
media penetration, com- er ticket sales. The church The film, which was pro- olence and police corrup- cure his sister's asthma and
Score, says the film "Nada a denies that and, in turn, duced by Paris Entre- tion in Rio de Janeiro. But finally joins an evangelical
Perder" — "Nothing to Lose" accused the Brazilian me- tenimento, is based on comScore data shows that church. But he ends up re-
— sold more than 11.7 mil- dia of disseminating "fake Macedo's life and ends "Nada a Perder" may not jecting that church as too
lion tickets between its re- news" to damage its repu- with a recorded message reign for long: "Avengers: elitist and finally founds his
lease March 29 and Thurs- tation. from the man himself. The Infinity War," which opened own.
day. That makes the film, "The Universal (church) church says it was not in- April 26 in Brazil, has more Over the years, he and his
which is being released never bought tickets for volved in the film's produc- than 10.4 million ticket sales preachers have drawn the
Friday in the United States, the film 'Nada a Perder,'" tion, though it has vigor- so far. ire of Catholics for railing
the most attended since the church said in a state- ously promoted it on its Luis Fernando Rodrigues against their "idolatry" of
2002, the first year for which ment to The Associated website as has Macedo's was among five people saints and calling the pope
comScore has Brazilian box Press. "That said, part of the Record TV network. Anoth- who saw "Nada a Perder" the Antichrist.
office data. The next clos- success of the film — and er part of Macedo's media at a movie theater in Sao But they have also drawn
est film — a 2016 movie therein lies the hatred of empire, Record Filmes, has Paulo on Thursday after- fervent followers, who have
about the life of Moses — some segments of the press helped to screen the film noon. turned the Universal church
sold more than 11.3 million — comes from the initiative in prisons and for remote "This film is part of a holy into a powerful player in
tickets. of volunteers from Universal communities, including in- war" over the image of Brazilian politics and cul-
But the Brazilian press has and other denominations digenous groups. A sequel Macedo and his church, ture. Macedo's nephew
accused the church of in- and religions, who have or- is planned. said the 57-year-old archi- and a bishop in the church,
flating sales by buying up ganized so that the largest The second most-attended tect. Even the debate over Marcelo Crivella was elect-
tickets itself. The Folha de number of people possible film since comScore start- how many people saw the ed mayor of Rio de Janeiro
S.Paulo newspaper sent re- can see the film." ed keeping track is "Os Dez film is part of that battle, he in 2016, and the Universal
porters to movie theaters It added that other reli- Mandamentos," which Re- said. church says it has 9 million
during the film's opening gions do exactly the same cord Filmes produced. The Gesturing at the empty followers in 110 countries,
weekend and said the thing: recommending to third film is "Tropa de Elite theater, he added: "We 7 million of whom are in
screening rooms weren't their followers things they 2," the sequel to a popular don't know if it's because Brazil.q