Private Project

With My Dog-Eyes

With My Dog-Eyes is a “friction” film that uses the homonymous novel by Hilda Hilst as a stimulus to create a narrative that intertwines the memories and the work of the Brazilian composer Gilberto Mendes. In the novel, the character Amós Kéres, a mathematician, undergoes a transcendental experience in which he is struck by colors without lines or contours — a kind of metaphysical sun. After this unforgettable intuition, he gradually withdraws from his duties, immersing himself in what is publicly interpreted as madness.

In the film, Gilberto Mendes embodies Amós Kéres through his Brazilian Neue Musik, while his personal memories merge with those of the character.
Death, Life, God, Man-Dog.

Blending strategies of documentary and fiction cinema, the film incorporates the gaze of Mel, Gilberto’s companion dog, and proposes an aesthetic experience inspired by non conventional perception. At times low and wandering, the camera seeks to see the world with “dog-eyes,” exploring a sensory, instinctive, and metaphysical dimension of existence.

The works of Gilberto Mendes and Hilda Hilst resonate deeply with one another: both artists share a sharp sense of humor and irony, and move freely between erudite, lyrical, and popular forms — a tango and a burp, pornography and poetry. Their artistic encounter began years ago, when Mendes set two of Hilst’s ballads to music, and now unfolds again in a metaphysical dialogue through With My Dog-Eyes.

The film is both an encounter between, and a tribute to, the creative universes of Gilberto Mendes and Hilda Hilst. In 2022, Mendes would have celebrated his 100th birthday; having passed away in 2016, this film stands as a homage to his life and work.

  • Thais de Almeida Prado
    Director
  • Thais de Almeida Prado
    Writer
  • Thais Toracio
    Producer
  • Gilberto Mendes
    Key Cast
    "Amós Kéres"
  • Nathalia Lorda
    Key Cast
    "Amanda and Libitina"
  • Marcio Barreto
    Key Cast
    "Isaiah"
  • Thaís de Almeida Prado
    Key Cast
    "The director"
  • Gilberto Mendes
    Script collaboration
  • Thaís de Almeida Prado
    Cinematography
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Com Meus Olhos de Cão
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Feature, Music Video, Other
  • Genres:
    Hybrid, FrictionFilm, Media Film
  • Runtime:
    45 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    October 13, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    Brazil
  • Country of Filming:
    Brazil
  • Language:
    Portuguese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • CINETORO Experimental Film Festival
    Toro
    Colombia
    November 8, 2024
    Latin American Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Cem Anos Gilberto Mendes
    São Paulo
    Brazil
    October 13, 2022
  • Cem Anos Gilberto Mendes
    Santos
    Brazil
    October 4, 2023
  • Festival da Música Nova
    Ribeirão Preto
    Brazil
  • Festival Gilberto Mendes
    Santos
    Brazil
  • Festival Neue Musik
    Santos
    Brazil
Director Biography - Thais de Almeida Prado

Thais de Almeida Prado is a filmmaker, scriptwriter, multidisciplinary artist and actress. Thais' holds an MA in Film Studies (2014) and a BA in Theater Direction (2004), both at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Thais' work permeates the interdisciplinary boundaries between cinema, and other arts, often in collaboration with other artists.
She is one of the new Talents at Projeto Paradiso and has recently participated at TFL Next Comedy with her project "As Mulheres do Pau-Brasil" and with the same project, in 2021, she participated in the lab at Doc-Lisboa and received the Special Arché Jury Award, for the best project in writing and development stage.

She made several artistic residences in different countries. Made a performance in the exhibition of Peter Greenaway: Tulse Luper Suitcases.

"Emprire" (2023 - 13min); “My Part” (2022 – 7min); "With My Dog-Eyes" (2022 – 45min); "Aller/Retour" (2021 – 5min); B - "There is something wrong with Charlie" (15min, 2021); "Will We All Be Cacti in the Future?" (2021 - 13min); "Threesome" (2020 - 5min); "Nowhere" (2020 - 71min); "About Watching – a witness-film in miniseries” (2015 - 103min); “Os Barcos” (The Boats, 2012 – 23min); “Exercice du Regarde” (2010 - 8min); “Passagens” (Passages, 2011 – 9min); “Disturbios no Vazio” (Noises in the Void, 2009 – 3min).

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Director Statement

With My Dog-Eyes, is a "friction" film that uses the homonymous novel by Hilda Hilst, as a stimulus to create a narrative that mixes the memories and the work of the erudite composer Gilberto Mendes. In the novel, the character Amós Kéres, a mathematician, “lives a transcendental experience where he receives an impact of colors, without lines or contours, a kind of metaphysical Sun. After that unforgettable experience or intuition, he withdraws and alienates himself more and more from his duties, immersing himself in what is publicly interpreted as madness”.
In the film, Gilberto Mendes personifies Amós Kéres through his Brazilian "Neue Musik", and his personal memories are mixed with those of the character Amós. From this encounter between the creative experiences of Gilberto Mendes and Hilda Hilst's novel the film is born, which combines strategies of documentary and fiction films.
The Work of Gilberto Mendes and Hilda Hilst has a great dialogue, both have a great humor and a certain sarcasm, at the same time that they use erudite, lyrical and popular artefacts. Both are capable of flanking across genres without actually being attached to either. A tango and a burp, pornography and poetry. The meeting of the work of these two artists have happened years ago when Gilberto Mendes set to music two ballads of Hilda Hilst, now both will meet again in a metaphysical dialogue for "With My Dog-Eyes".
The film is also a homage to Mel, Gilberto Mendes’s dog and one of the great characters in the narrative. Aesthetically, beyond the playful metaphysics of words, the camera sometimes attempts to see with dog-eyes, as proposed in Hilst’s book. It is about experiencing other ways of seeing: the camera low to the ground, among feet, in rest or in chaos — seeking to capture the world through an other gaze.
With My Dog-Eyes is this great encounter between literature, music, and image, and it celebrates both artists.

In the year of 2022, Gilberto Mendes would be celebrating his 100th birthday, he left us in 2016, showing the film is a great homage to this incredible composer.

As someone who has been working with different “languages of art” (theatre, video art etc.) I was always interested in working on the artistic frontiers, or in the contamination from one kind of art into the other. For my artistic perception is really important to have the freedom of letting a project show me its artistic nature and the way that I should proceed: for example, if it will be a theater play, or a performance, or a film and etc.