Freire (Film)
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| Freire | |
|---|---|
 Official theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Natalia Ramirez |
| Written by | Juan Manuel Ocampo |
| Based on | Freire: Cesylle’s First Revolutionary by Juan Manuel Ocampo |
| Produced by | Juan Manuel Ocampo Natalia Ramirez |
| Starring | Franco Piñón Teresa Martí Juan Manuel Ocampo Tomás Seco |
| Cinematography | Caitlin Szymanski |
| Edited by | Valeria Secada |
| Music by | Juan Manuel Ocampo |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Sentido Motion Pictures |
Release date | November 7, 2021 |
Running time | 159 minutes |
| Countries | Nastanovo Elaklania |
| Language | Isabellan |
| Budget | €17.76 million |
Freire is a 2021 Nastnovian and Elaklanian sung-and-rapped-through musical film, adapted from the 2014 musical of the same name, using a live recording from a largely attended performance of the musical in the Elaklanian Capital of Puerto Bontia in 2016. Natalia Ramirez directed the film, and co-produced it alongside Juan Manuel Ocampo, who also wrote and composed the film, while also portraying the eponymous lead character.
The film follows the same plot as the musical in the life of Bernardo Freire during the Century of Revolutions. The film's beginning describes Freire's family's immigration from the Cosavian colonial-island holdings to Nastanovo and finding work as a child and as a teenager under the Viceroyalty in the capital city of Santo Dominco. Then leading into the major events of the musical which include the War of Ferdinandian Independence, his selection to becoming General of the Citizen's Army of Ferdinandia, the events following the separation of Elaklania, his coronation as Sovereign of Nastanovo, the Coalition Wars of 1790 and his personal life. The film ends with the assassination of Freire and a final scene with the ascension of his son to become Sovereign of Nastanovo and a recounting of his legacy as Cesylle’s First Revolutionary
The film adaption was released on the November 7, 2021, premiering in a number of theatres, while being released on streaming services two weeks later on November 30. Critics praised the film for its use of unique camera positioning to convey new emotion towards lines within the musical numbers throughout the film.
Plot
Freire focuses on the life and times of Bernardo Freire thereby organising his life into two acts; the first of the acts focusing on his life leading up to his participation in the War of Ferdinandian Independence, and the second act focusing on his reign as Sovereign of Nastanovo and ending with his assassination. Other important characters which poised significance to Freire or the period of the Century of Revolutions are included, such as his wife Fátima Velázquez, his close friend and Vice President of Ferdiandia, Carlos Romero and the would be Emperor of Elaklania Manuel Andre Osceola.
Act I
The film opens with Josué Freire, performing as narrator, describing the immigration of the Freire family to the Viceroyalty of Nastanovo from colonial Cosavia following a merchant led riot in the colonial-capital and showcasing the sheer stature of wealth that the Freire family brought into colonial Nastanovo which allowed them to be established as a Aristocratic family within the Viceroyalty ("Cesyllian Tides"). Then cutting to a young Bernardo working as a carriage-counter on his family's plantation and witnessing the Isabellan promoted exploitation of native slaves and the poorer Nastnovians in the cultivation of tabacco upon the family's plantation in the outskirts of Santo Dominco, formenting the intial questionings of colonial authority in the young Bernardo ("Her Tyranny"). Reaching the age of 15 Bernardo's mother takes it upon herself to sign Bernardo to private tutoring under a family friend, much to his father's discontent. At 16 Bernardo finds himself sailing to Isabella and meeting Daniella Barrios who introduces the young Freire to Maris in a tour of Isabella and Lancia, developing a further questionings of the Viceroyalties system in colonial Cesylle as Barrios introduces him to the man who discovered Ceyslle, Emil Jacob Fernández, and ideals of republicanism, abolitionist thought, and inalienable rights In his final months of tutoring, Bernardo makes a swear upon himself that he will liberate his homeland, by force of arms if he must've ("Something's Gotta Give"). Upon bidding his goodbyes to Barrios and Maris, Freire returns home to Nastanovo in 1768 at the age of 18. Freire pauses in the downtown district of Santo Dominco to recount of his life thus far, passing through the streets feeling that so far he's been on the right path but missing an incredibly missing piece to his philosophical puzzle but then he overhears a group of revolutionaries, of whom include Carlos Romero, discussing their plans to raid an Imperial cache of weapons ("No King but God"). Which he then interjects into by buying them all a drink to invite himself into the conversation, though at first suspicious the small group allow him to enter into the conversation which Freire then begins to dominate as he explains what he had recently learned from his tutoring, his ideals of a Cesyllian republic and a government of the new generation overtaking the conversation and sparking a following of revolutionaries to Freire's conversation, during the commotion that Freire caused, he proudly proclaims that he has found the missing puzzle piece, a movement. ("No man's stood to her!"). Unfortunately Freire's father heard of his son's exploits in the inner city which then forced him to close Bernardo into the family estate, which Bernardo escapes from and bribes and rides his way to San Sebastián and reconnect with his friend Carlos Romero who then brings Freire to the First Ferdinándian National Congress as his plus one to the Congress in 1769 where the 19 year old Freire then begins to find himself surrounded by likeminded individuals who allow him to grow his ideals of republicanism and discuss a future without the oversight of the Viceroy and Isabellan's increasingly enlarging colonial military. For months Freire debated with the other members of the congress on the necessity of a revolution and though some have reservations, he convinces a majority to vote in favor for the delivering of an ultimatum to Isabella, demanding the creation of a colonial congress to allow themselves to determine policy and the freeing of all slaves across the Viceroyalties of Cesylle, upon the Isabellan King refuting the demand, the Congress voted in favor of independence ("Libertad o Muerte"). Within weeks the Isabellan garrisons are mobilized and professional battalions are arriving from island holdings of Isabella, forcing street combat as revolutionaries take up arms in the streets of major cities across the Viceroyalties of Elaklania and Nastanovo. Freire takes command as the only person willing to do so and is forced to engage with General Christopher Botín, the General Isabella dispatched to put down the Revolution, the age disparity showing its clearness as the 20 year old Freire, inexpereinced and new to combat, against the 62 year old general, well fashioned and firm in combat. Freire suffers defeat after defeat in the downtown city and is forced to abandoned the city though with minimal casualties and a concern for maintaining cohesion and quality of the battalions under his command. Those in his command though proclaim him the victor regardless as he was able to stand to the most experienced Isabellan General and continue to live to tell the tale ("and so, revolution"). Following the Battle of San Sebastián and reorganizing in the inner regions of southern Elaklania and Northern Nastanovo, Freire organizes the first regiments of the Ferdinándian Citizen's Army and recieves word from other disperate organs of revolutionaries proclaiming their support for his sector of the revolution, he sends riders out with the message that he is assuming command of the Revolution as El General of the Citizen's Army. in 1770 at age 20 Bernardo becomes the young face of the revolution against the Isabellan colonial response and battlelines begin to form across the Viceroyalties of Elaklania and Nastanovo from Revolutionaries attempting to link up with Freire from across colonies ("El General").
Deeper inland and in the Viceroyalty of Elaklania as the leader of the Army of Puerto Bontia, Manuel Andre Osceola, is chased from the city he was meant to defend from the Isabellan garrison, defeated and without allies in Elaklania as the aristocrats threw their weight behind the Isabellan
Act II
Cast
- Juan Manuel Ocampo as Bernardo Freire, the eponymous character
- Franco Piñón as Manuel Andre Osceola, the rival of Freire and a prominent Elaklanian general
- Teresa Martí as Fátima Velázquez-Freire, the wife of Freire
- Jaime Aguayoo as Josué Freire, Bernardo Freire's father, an Isabellan loyalist and plantation owner who also acts as Narrator
- Tomás Seco as Carlos Romero, the close friend of Freire and Vice President of Ferdinandia
- Arturo Xirau as Christopher Botín, The Isabellan General instructed to put down the Ferdinandian Rebellion
- Martin Manzanedo as Dr. Abraham López, an Elaklanian Republican and vocal opponent of Oscola
- David González as Jonatán Montes, An wealthy Elaklanian financicing the Revolution
- Gabriel Palau as Ramon Pliego, another wealthy Nastnovian who finances the Revolution and aids Freire in his bid to become Sovereign/Ensemble
- Jose Manzanares as Román Diego Molina and Jorge Freire, Sovereigntist Nastnovian General/Son of Bernardo Freire
- Dante Saavedra as Rolando Berganza, Bernardo Freire's doctor and Isabellan Spy
- Julia Gisbert as Daniella Barrios, Freire's tutor and a messenger/Ensemble
Production
Musical numbers
- "Cesyllian Tides" –
- "Her Tyranny" –
- "Something's Gotta Give" –
- "No King but God" –
- "No man's stood to her!" –
- "Libertad o Muerte" –
- "and so, revolution" –
- "El General" –
- "So may it be" –
- "Outgunned and Outplanned" -
- "Summer of '72" -
- "Bark your orders!" -
- "Reverence" -
- "Northern Expedition" –
- "The Seven Rules of War" –
- "Osceola on the Horizon" –
- "¡Adiós Isabel!" –
- "El Presidente" –
- "Third Time's The Congress (TTTC) -
- "Bring him in!" -
- "The Sister's War" –
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Act II
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