‘Fire at Sea’ Producer Donatella Palermo Joins Eryk Rocha’s Doc ‘Elza’

Oscar-nominated Italian producer Donatella Palermo, whose credits include “Fire at Sea” and “Caesar Must Die,” has joined Eryk Rocha’s documentary “Elza” as a production associate. The film will have its world premiere at the Rio Film Festival, followed by its international premiere at the Rome Film Festival.

“Elza” is the follow-up to Rocha’s “The Falling Sky,” which premiered to acclaim at Directors’ Fortnight. The documentary chronicles the life of Elza Soares, one of Brazil’s most renowned singers and public figures. Drawing on rare archival materials and intimate conversations between Soares and Rocha during the final years of her life, the film traces the singer’s seven-decade career while revealing the many facets of the woman behind the legend.

The project carries a heavyweight roster of Brazilian and Italian partners: Aruac Filmes (“Cinema Novo”), Maria Farinha Filmes (“The Beginning of Life”), Globo Filmes (“I’m Still Here”), RAI Cinema and Gullane+.

Rocha followed Soares over eight years of filming. “Elza Soares is a beacon whose art and legacy continue to guide us,” he said. “To tell her story is also to tell the story of our country. By allowing Elza to tell her story in her own voice, the film brings us once again into the presence of this immense woman and artist.”

He added: “The film is also a way to honor her dedication to music and her commitment to everything she was, and everything she continues to represent. I am deeply moved to share this film with audiences and to have Elza’s voice sing once again, for Brazil and the entire world.”

Soares’s career intersected with defining figures of international music, from Argentine tango composer and arranger Astor Piazzolla to jazz legends Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. She met Armstrong in Chile in 1962, during a World Cup that would change the course of her life. The BBC named her “Voice of the Millennium.” She transcended genres and national borders to become a global symbol of artistic freedom, resilience and the enduring power of Black women’s voices. Her death in 2022 moved the entire country, with artists and fans paying lengthy homages to the trailblazer.

“Elza” is produced by Aruac Filmes and Maria Farinha Filmes, in co-production with Globo Filmes and GloboNews. Gullane+ and Maria Farinha Filmes handle distribution. The film was produced in collaboration with Faber Produzioni and RAI Cinema.

Public support underpins the project. The City of São Paulo, through Spcine, and Itaú Cultural backed the film. Funding came from the Brazilian Federal Government through the Aldir Blanc National Policy for the Promotion of Culture (PNAB), in coordination with the National Culture System, with investment from the Audiovisual Sector Fund and institutional support from the Ministry of Culture and Ancine.

With Palermo on board and premieres set for Rio and Rome, “Elza” positions itself as a landmark tribute to one of Brazil’s most singular voices — one that Rocha promises will let Soares sing again, for Brazil and the world.