Brasil Imperial

Playback Notes

Brasil Imperial

"BRAZILIAN EMPIRE", originally "BRASIL IMPERIAL", is a 10-episode series. In 1807, in an unprecedented action, D. João, heir to the Portuguese crown, decides to get away to Brazil with his entire court in an attempt to escape Napoleon's troops. Young servant Arrebita clandestinely embarks on this transatlantic adventure toward the tropics and gets involved in the historical events that transform Rio de Janeiro into the capital of the Portuguese Empire and culminate in the process of Brazilian independence and the subsequent return of D. Pedro to Portugal. Narrated by Gonçalves Ledo, a liberal politician and a strong opponent of absolutist ideals, "Brasil Imperial" presents the negotiations, plots, and political conspiracies that marked the period of D. João's stay in the Americas and the first empire of D. Pedro. Issues such as slavery, the Emperor's authoritarian attitudes and his many affairs, the death of Princess Leopoldina, the many popular uprisings in search for freedom, and the establishment of an economic and political elite guided by privileges, in addition to the corruption and the shady interests that guided Brazilian life in the period, are the background of the intricate romance between Arrebita and Ana do Congo. The plot also serves as an opportunity to suggest a discussion on the inheritances that are still perpetuated in today's administration of the Brazilian State and in the organization of its society.