O Pagador de Promessas

O Pagador de Promessas (, Keeper of Promises ) is a 1962 Brazilian drama film written and directed by Anselmo Duarte, based on the famous stage play of the same name by Dias Gomes. Shot in Salvador, Bahia, it stars Leonardo Villar.

The film won the Palme d'Or at the 1962 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first film by a Brazilian director to achieve that feat. A year later, it also became the first Brazilian and South American film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Plot
Zé do Burro (Leonardo Villar) is a landowner from Nordeste. His best friend is a donkey. When his donkey falls terminally ill, Zé promises to a Candomblé orisha, Iansan, that if his donkey recovers, he will give away his land to the poor and carry a cross all the way from his farm to the Saint Bárbara Church in Salvador, Bahia, where he will offer the cross to the local priest. Upon the recovery of his donkey, Zé leaves on his journey, covering a distance of 7 léguas (46 km; 29 miles). The movie begins as Zé, followed by his wife Rosa (Glória Menezes), arrives outside the church. The local priest (Dionísio Azevedo) refuses to accept the cross once he hears about Zé's "pagan" pledge and the reasons behind it. Everyone attempts to manipulate the innocent and naive Zé. The local Candomblé worshippers want to use him as a leader against the discrimination they suffer from the Roman Catholic Church. The sensationalist newspapers transform his promise to give away his land into a "communist" call for land reform (which remains a highly controversial issue in Brazil). When Zé is shot by the police to prevent his entry into the church, the Candomblé worshippers place his dead body on the cross and force their way into the church.

Main cast

 * Leonardo Villar as Zé do Burro (Donkey Jack)
 * Glória Menezes as Rosa, Zé's wife
 * Dionísio Azevedo as Olavo, the priest
 * Geraldo Del Rey as Bonitão (Handsome), a pimp
 * Norma Bengell as Marly, a prostitute
 * Othon Bastos as the Reporter
 * Antônio Pitanga as Coca, the capoeira player

Awards and nominations
Academy Awards
 * Best Foreign Language Film (nominated)

Cannes Film Festival
 * Palme d'Or – Anselmo Duarte (won)

Cartagena Film Festival
 * Special Jury Prize – Anselmo Duarte (won)

San Francisco International Film Festival
 * Golden Gate Award for Best Film – Anselmo Duarte (won)
 * Golden Gate Award for Best Musical Score – Gabriel Migliori (won)