Cláudio Kahns
Producer
Cláudio Kahns has been involved for more than 20 years in Brazilian Cinema. He studied at the School of Politics and Social Sciences in São Paulo and, later on, went to Paris where he studied at the "University of Vincennes", at the "École Pratique des Hautes Études'' and at the "École de Beaux-Arts". In 1974/1975, still in Paris, he organized a Brazilian Cinema and a Latin-American Cinema exhibit. Back in Brazil, he worked as the organizer for film exhibits for the Brazilian Film Archive and the Filmmakers of São Paulo Association (APACI). For two periods he was elected as the chairman of the Brazilian Association of Documentary filmmakers in São Paulo (1980 and 1981).
As a film director, he has made the documentary films O Sonho não Acabou, (The Dream is not Over), that was awarded the best sound track in the Brasília Film Festival, Santo e Jesus (Saint and Jesus), Metalúrgicos (Steel Workers), best feature documentary film in the XII Brazilian Exhibition of Short feature films in Bahia, Jornada brasileira de curta-metragem, Bahia.
In 1981, with six other filmmakers he created TATU FILMES, a production house, which made many shorts and documentary films for foreign TV channels and the following feature films:
Janete, 1983, by Chico Botelho. Awards at two festivals: Gramado and Brasília,1983.
A Marvada Carne (Strong Meat), 1985, by André Klotzel Best film and 13 other awards in the Gramado Film Festival 1985. It was also shown in more than 20 world festivals and in Cannes;
Feliz Ano Velho (Happy Old Year), 1988, by Roberto Gervitz (Best film Popular Jury and Jury Special Prize in addition to other 5 different prizes in the Gramado Film Festival 1988.
O Judeu (The Jew), 1994, by Jom Tob Azulay, the first co-production Brazil-Portugal (best film and three other awards at the Brasília Film Festival in 1995; First Prize at HBO Brazil; best supporting actor - José Lewgoy – the Cartagena Film Festival, Colombia.
He also worked as an executive producer in the film Vera, by Sérgio Toledo, which received the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for best actress (Ana Beatriz Nogueira); and, as a set/production manager in the feature film ABC da Greve, by Leon Hirszman.
From January 1989 to March 1991, he worked as the Special Assistant at the State Culture Secretary, under the administration of the writer Fernando Morais, where he developed several projects. One of these projects was the funding for 10 long feature films (Sábado, by Hugo Georgetti; Perfume de Gardênia, by Guilherme de Almeida Prado; Maldita Coincidência, by Sérgio Bianchi; Capitalismo Selvagem, by André Klotzel - just to mention a few.
Starting in 1991, he has actively worked in the creation and the production of TV programs and documentaries about Brazilian history:
Director and co-producer of 13 programs called Estúdio Brasil, based on ideas from the program Inside The Actor’s Studio, at Canal Bravo Brasil;
Director of the documentary 1930, Tempo de Revolução, directed by Eduardo Escorel, the first part of a series on Brazilian History, created together with André Singer and produced by Videofilmes.
Producer of the following documentary films: 32, A Guerra Civil and Ulysses, Cidadão, both of them directed by Eduardo Escorel. 32, A Guerra Civil was later launched in VHS by Publifolha.
Co-producer, with Switzerland, of the long feature documentary Sobras em Obras, by Michel Favre;
The 52’ documentary Papagaios Amarelos (La Terre Sans Mal) about the French Invasion in Brazil in the 17th Century, a co-production with the Swiss production house Le Cine Atelier Sàrl and the STV –Rede SescSenac de Televisão;
The long feature documentary 35, O Assalto ao Poder, consisting of two episodes of 50’, directed by Eduardo Escorel.
The 52’ documentary A Civilização do Cacau, directed by Rogério Corrêa, in a co-production with Tv Cultura;
Descobrir, a documentary about Brazil’s 500th year celebration, directed by Ricardo Miranda.
Currently, he is developing the following projects, among others: De Olhos Bem Abertos, long feature documentary about the actor José Lewgoy; the remake of the TV series Estúdio Brasil, for TV Cultura, Canal Brasil and STV Net (a net created by the Social Service for Commerce); 37, O Estado Novo, la feature documentary about the dictatorship period in the Brazilian History (1937 to 1945); a set of documentary films about the new government program called Fome Zero (No Hunger); Trilhas da Cidade, directed by Rogério Corrêa and the production of the feature film Rouge Brésil, in a co-production with France based on the prize winning book (Prix Goncourt) by Jean-Christophe Rufin.
