São Paulo
Dressed in pink, several girls aged 15 to 25 gathered at the entrance to the cinema at Shopping Cidade Jardim, in São Paulo. They weren’t there to see”Barbie” or the new version of “Mean Girls“. The color chosen was a reference to the book’s cover.”Making my movie“, whose adaptation was premiered that night on January 29th.
Among the actors who bring the characters of the work to life — such as Bela Fernandes, Giovanna Chaves, Kiria Malheiros, Xande Valois, Caio Paduan and Samara Felippo, among others —, the star of the night was the author Paula Pimenta. The person responsible for the story attracted the largest number of photos, interviews, videos and autographs from fans and guests — a portrait of her influence among the generation of young readers of the 2000s and 2010s, who grew up with her stories of romance, friendship and discovery.
Released in 2008, “Making My Movie” is the first in a series of four books. With more than 870 thousand copies sold, it is the author’s bestseller. Pimenta has already published 18 children’s books, two of which, “Cinderela Pop” and “An Unforgettable Year: Winter” had already reached the big screen, both with the author herself on the writing team.
But it is the new adaptation that leaves her most excited, as it is a favorite with readers. It is no surprise that Pimenta states that the cute moments and the characteristic atmosphere of Belo Horizonte from the year 2000 are faithfully portrayed in the film, which premieres this Wednesday (14) on Prime Video. “The dialogues in the book are all in the actors’ mouths. It’s really faithful. I don’t think any reader will complain,” she said.
In the work, it is the character Fani, a 16-year-old girl from Minas Gerais who is going through the normal challenges of any teenager — a platonic crush, a low grade in physics and her first kiss —, who makes readers identify. The young woman sees her life turn upside down when she is approved for an exchange program for England.
The trip to Brighton, a city that has become a dream destination for many readers, should only appear in possible sequels to the film, which makes the author hope for the success of this first feature. It is hoped that the story will have enough momentum to become an audiovisual franchise as well.
With the arrival of the film, Paula hopes to reach a new audience, who were still very young at the launch of her last book, the fifth volume of “Minha Vida Fora de Série”. At the preview, it was noticeable that the youngest girls present were invited influencers. Most fans of the literary work have already entered adulthood.
“I believe there was a gap of two years, during the pandemic, in which the old dynamic was paused. My books are normally recommended in schools or passed on between cousins and sisters. I think that now, yes, pre-teens can get to know them again them”, celebrated the author.