SYNOPSIS
The neon-hued Motel Destino, a roadside sex hotel steaming under the burning blue skies of the northeastern coast of Brazil, is run by hot-headed Elias and his restless younger wife Dayana. The unexpected arrival of 21-year-old Heraldo, on the run after a botched hit, disrupts the established order. As the tropical noir plays out, loyalties and desires intertwine to reveal that destiny has its own enigmatic design.
DIRECTOR’S
BIOGRAPHY
Karim Aïnouz is an award-winning filmmaker. He debuted as a director with MADAME SATÃ (Cannes Un Certain, Regard 2002). His other works include FIREBRAND (Cannes Competition 2023), MARINER OF THE MOUNTAINS (Official Selection Cannes, 2021), NARDJES A. (Berlin Panorama, 2020), CENTRAL AIRPORT THF (Berlin Amnesty Prize, 2018), FUTURO BEACH (Berlin Competition, 2014), THE SILVER CLIFF (Cannes Directors Fortnight, 2011), I TRAVEL BECAUSE I HAVE TO, I COME BACK BECAUSE I LOVE YOU (Venice, Orizontti, 2009) and LOVE FOR SALE (Venice, Orizontti, 2006). INVISIBLE LIFE won the Un Certain Regard Prize at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and has been the recipient of several prizes worldwide. Aïnouz is also a screenwriter, tutor and member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. MOTEL DESTINO is his latest feature.
SELECTED DIRECTOR’S FILMOGRAPHY
2024 Motel Destino (Motel Destino)
2023 Firebrand (Firebrand)
2021 Mariner of the Mountains (Marinheiro das Montanhas)
2020 Nardjes A. (Nardjes A.)
2019 Invisible Life (A Vida Invisível de Euridice Gusmão)
2018 Central Airport THF (Aeroporto Central THF)
2014 Futuro Beach (A Praia do Futuro)
2011 The Silver Cliff (Abismo Prateado)
2010 I Travel Because I Have To, I Come Back Because I Love You (Viajo Porque Preciso, Volto Porque te Amo)
2006 Love for Sale (O Céu de Suely)
2002 Madam Satan (Madame Satã)
COMMENTS OF
THE DIRECTOR
After nearly a decade, I return to Ceará, my home province, to make MOTEL DESTINO. I have an immense thirst for sunlight, for people, for the sea, for passion, for lust. I am captivated by the sight of glistening bodies mingling in the heat.
Under the scorching sun of the equator, where no shadow falls, I revisit the noir genre. Instead of somber tones, I am drawn to an explosion of color. Instead of shadows, I dream up a new film, which celebrates the vitality of those who are hungry to exist. A film that beats to the insatiable and forbidden rhythm of a pursued heart. Where everything is possible and desire reigns supreme.
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MOTEL DESTINO is a portrait of characters fervently pursuing their aspirations and seeking to carve out their own destinies. It is also a love story about Heraldo, a young defiant outsider, and Dayana, a woman who dares to confront society’s expectations. Their encounter at Motel Destino ignites a vivid spark that challenges the constrained future society has laid out for them.
MOTEL DESTINO offers an intimate and universal portrait of a youth deprived of its potential by a dominant and stifling elite, against which violence is the only weapon to assert life and desire.
My aim was to delve into the core of will and fate, to challenge the way society regards those it puts astray, and take a deep dive into the power dynamics of Brazil. The tale goes beyond the struggle for survival; it is about actively crafting one’s own future, building a life filled with visceral love and passion, and standing up to domineering forces.
I envisioned a film in vivid hues, driven by unfiltered passion, depicting a raw dance of longing and urgency. It narrates a journey where violence carries weight, but never undermines the humanity of its characters.
Here, it is desire and will, rather than mere endurance, that determines who triumphs in life’s struggle.
MAIN CAST
Iago Xavier
24-year-old multi-talented artist from Ceará, selected from over 500 actors to play Heraldo in 'Motel Destino', his first film role.
Nataly Rocha
38-year-old theater, cinema and television actress from Ceará, chosen from more than 500 actors to star as Dayana in 'Motel Destino', her fourth feature film.
Fabio Assunção
52-year-old renowned Brazilian actor and director from São Paulo, iEmmys® nominee and well known to the Brazilian audiences, stars as Elias in 'Motel Destino’.
MAIN
CAST
Iago Xavier
as Heraldo
Nataly Rocha
as Dayana
Fabio Assunção
as Elias
MAIN
CREW
Director: Karim Aïnouz
Screenwriter: Wislan Esmeraldo, in collaboration with Karim Aïnouz and Mauricio Zacharias
Director of Photography: Hélène Louvart, AFC
Producers: Janaina Bernardes, Fabiano Gullane, Caio Gullane, André Novis, Didar Domehri, Michael Weber, Viola Fügen, Gabrielle Tana, Hélène Theodoly
Co-producers: Cécile Tollu-Polonowski, Sam Gordon, Mario Canivello, Guilherme Cezar Coelho
Associate Producers: Simone Leandro de Oliveira, Emily Lowe, Christina Ley
Executive Producers: Mauricio Macêdo, Janaina Bernardes, Daniela Antonelli Aun, Gabriela Tocchio, Ana Saito, Pablo Torrecillas, Fernando Loureiro, Mariana Ferraz,
Marcelo Campanér
Co-executive Producer: Laura Rossi
Production Designer: Marcos Pedroso
Editor: Nelly Quettier
Costume Designers: Kika Lopes, Ananda Frazão
Make up: Natie Cortez
Casting: Nina Kopko
Sound Mixers: Pedrinho Moreira, Moabe Filho
Sound Design: Waldir Xavier
Re-recording Mixer: Adrian Baumeister
Original Score: Amine Bouhafa
Production Manager: Luiza Ramos
Post-production Supervisors: Juan Galva,
Bia Almeida, Adrien Léongue
Main Cast: Iago Xavier, Nataly Rocha, Fabio Assunção
Supporting Cast: Renan Capivara, Fabíola Líper, Isabela Catão, Yuri Yamamoto, Davi Santos, Jupyra Carvalho, Bertrand de Courville, Katiana Monteiro, Vanessa Cardoso, Jan Moreira, Edglê Lima Moreira
TECHNICAL
DETAILS
Original title: Motel Destino
International title: Motel Destino
Duration: ca. 112 min
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Format: DCP
Sound: 5.1
Year: 2024
Original language: Portuguese
Countries of production: Brazil, France, Germany
Production Companies: Cinema Inflamável, Gullane
Co-production Companies: Maneki Films, The Match Factory, Globo Filmes, Telecine, Canal Brasil
In Association with: Brouhaha Entertainment, Written Rock Films, Tandem, Matizar Filmes, Tigresa, Filmes del Fuego
With the support of: Ancine, FSA/BRDE, Government of the State of Ceará - Department of Culture, Aide aux cinémas du monde – Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée – Institut Français, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg
INTERNATIONAL
PRESS
Premier PR:
moteldestino@premiercomms.com
US Press:
Ryan Werner / Charlie Olsky
Cinetic Marketing
26 Broadway, 14th Floor
New York, NY 10004
French Press:
LE PUBLIC SYSTEME CINEMA
Alexis DELAGE-TORIEL
adelagetoriel@lepublicsystemecinema.fr
BRAZILIAN
PRESS
Vanessa Cardoso / Eduardo Marques
Factoria Comunicação
vanessa@factoriacomunicacao.com
eduardo@factoriacomunicacao.com
